Politics Ledger · Europe
Spain
Liberal democracyConstitutional monarchyUnitary with devolution
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In charge
Pedro Sánchez
Prime Minister
Time in power
8.4 yrs
since 2018
Government seats
42%
minority
Next national vote
2026-11
Snap general
Governance score
78/100
composite of five indices
After a century of instability, civil war and Franco's 36-year dictatorship, Spain's negotiated transition became a model of democratisation. The central question now is territorial: how much self-government Catalonia and the Basque Country should have.
Leadership
Who Governs Spain
Head of state
Felipe VI
King
Since 19 June 2014 · 12.4 years
Age 58 (born 1968)ManRoute to power: hereditary
Head of government
Holds executive powerPedro Sánchez
Prime Minister · PSOE
Since 2 June 2018 · 8.4 years
Age 54 (born 1972)ManRoute to power: elected by parliament
Ruling coalition
PSOE-Sumar minority coalition, reliant on Catalan, Basque and Galician nationalists
Main opposition
People's Party (Alberto Núñez Feijóo)
Last national election
23 July 2023
General
PP came first but Sánchez formed a government with nationalist support, including an amnesty for Catalan separatists.
Next national election
29 November 2026
Snap general
Sánchez dissolved the Cortes on 6 October 2026 and called a snap election.
Parliament
Congress of Deputies
Seat distribution (Dissolved legislature (elected July 2023), at dissolution on 6 October 2026), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| People's Party (PP) | Conservatism, Christian democracy | 137 | opposition |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | Social democracy | 121 | governing |
| Vox (VOX) | National conservatism, Right-wing populism | 33 | opposition |
| Sumar (SMR) | Left-wing, Eco-socialism | 27 | coalition |
| Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) | Catalan independence, Social democracy | 7 | confidence |
| Together for Catalonia (Junts) | Catalan independence, Centre-right | 7 | opposition |
| EH Bildu (Bildu) | Basque independence, Left-wing | 6 | confidence |
| Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) | Basque nationalism, Christian democracy | 5 | confidence |
| Podemos (POD) | Left-wing populism | 4 | opposition |
| Others (CC, UPN) (OTH) | Regionalism | 2 | opposition |
| Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) | Galician nationalism | 1 | confidence |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- Kingdom of Spain
- Capital
- Madrid
- Population
- 49 million
- Statehood
- Dynastic union 1479; Constitution 1978
- System
- Constitutional monarchy
- Structure
- Unitary with devolution
- Current constitution
- 1978
- Legislature
- Cortes Generales
- Lower / sole chamber
- Congress of Deputies (350 seats)
- Upper chamber
- Senate (265)
- Electoral system
- Closed-list proportional (D'Hondt) in 52 provincial constituencies.
- Term limits
- None for the prime minister.
Sources
- Congreso de los Diputados
- BOE dissolution decree, Oct 2026
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.