THE SPANISH SENATE Last updated on 10/11/2019 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/relnatparl [email protected] Photo credits: Spanish Senate 1. AT A GLANCE Spain is a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy. The Spanish Parliament (Cortes Generales) is a bicameral body composed of the lower House (Congreso de los Diputados) and the upper House (Senado). The Senate is made up of 265 Members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 58 appointed by the regional legislatures. All Senators serve four-year term, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time. The Congress of Deputies has more independent functions, and it can also override most Senate measures. Only the Congress can grant or revoke confidence to the Spanish Prime minister. Senators form groups along party lines. Parties with fewer than 10 Senators form the Mixed Group. If the membership of an existing group falls below six during a session, it is merged into the Mixed Group at the next session. 133 seats are required for an absolute majority. Elections to the Chamber were held on Sunday 10 November 2019. 2. COMPOSITION Party EP affiliation Percentage Seats Seats appointed Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE) 41.52% 18 Spanish Socialist Workers' 92 Party Partido Popular (PP) 36.99% 84 14 People's Party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya 11 4.92% 2 Republican Left of Catalonia Partido Nacionalista Vasco (PNV) 3.79% 9 1 Basque Nationalist Party Ciudadanos (C's) 3.03% 0 8 Citizens Junts per Catalunya NI 1.89% 3 2 Together for Catalonia Directorate-General for the Presidency Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments VOX 1.13% 2 1 OTHERS 6.73% 7 11 100% 208 57 100% 265 Turnout 66.20%. The next elections will be held before November 2023 at the latest 3. OFFICEHOLDERS Chairperson of the Speaker of the Senate Mixed Committee for the European Union (composed of Members of both Chambers) Ms. Pilar Llop (PSOE), Susana SUMELZO JORDÁN, since 3rd December 2019 since 13/02/2020 Secretary-General of the Spanish Senate: Mr Manuel Cavero Gómez 4. RELATIONS WITH MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Participation rights for Spanish MEPs in plenary No sittings Participation rights for Spanish MEPs in committee Foreseen by Spanish law 8/94, for the joint EU affairs meetings Committee (Comisión mixta) only Availability of videoconferencing system in Spanish Yes Senate Directorate-General for the Presidency Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments 5. INFORMATION LINKS Official website: http://www.senado.es Rules of procedure in English and Spanish List of committees Recent documents submitted by the National Council to the Interparliamentary EU Information Exchange (IPEX) European Parliament Information Office in Madrid 6. CONTACTS Factsheet author and contact in the Brussels-based contact of the Spanish Senado: EP Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments: Mr Jesus GÓMEZ Ms Carmen Sánchez-Abarca Gornals Office MTY 07R004, B-1047, Brussels Office MTY 70/ 05 R018, B-1047, Brussels Tel. +32 2 28 32157 Tel.: +32 2 28 44596 [email protected] [email protected] Ms Diana CIUCHE Office MTY 07R018, B-1047, Brussels Tel. +32 2 28 41197 [email protected] Directorate-General for the Presidency Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments .