30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR
Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President Francisco ALVAREZ
CASCOS Fernandez (since 5 May 1996) and Second Vice President (and
Minister of Economy and Finance) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 5 May
1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president
note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme
consultative organ of the government
elections: the monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the
monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative
elections; election last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by NA
April 2000); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of
the president
election results: Jose Maria AZNAR elected president; percent of
National Assembly vote--NA

Legislative branch: bicameral; the General Courts or National
Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado
(256 seats--208 members directly elected by popular vote and the
other 48 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year
terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados
(350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by
proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate--last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held by April
2000); Congress of Deputies--last held 3 March 1996 (next to be held
by April 2000)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--PP 132, PSOE 96, CiU 11, PNV 6, IU 2, others 9; Congress of
Deputies--percent of vote by party--PP 38.9%, PSOE 37.5%, IU 10.7%,
CiU 4.6%; seats by party--PP 156, PSOE 141, IU 21, CiU 16, other 16

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo

Political parties and leaders:
principal national parties, from right to left: Popular Party or PP
Gonzalez]
Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence

Political pressure groups and leaders: on the extreme left, the
Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October
Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the
unions (authorized in April 1977); Workers Confederation or CC.OO;
the Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller
independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; business and landowning
interests; the Catholic Church; Opus Dei; university students

International or