Tagged: Spain

According to Petsinclude, Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, where the power lies with the Parliament and the King. The Parliament is composed of two chambers, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate. The Congress of Deputies is elected by universal suffrage among Spanish citizens aged 18 or over. It holds legislative power and it has 350 members who are elected for a period of four years. The Senate is composed of 266 members, 208 elected by popular vote and 58 appointed by regional legislatures. It has legislative powers, but it can only amend laws that have been passed by the Congress of Deputies, not initiate them. The King or Queen serves as head of state and plays an important role in Spanish politics, although their powers are mainly ceremonial. The current monarch is King Felipe VI who was crowned in 2014 after his father Juan Carlos abdicated from the throne. He is advised on government matters by a Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez who was appointed in 2018 following a successful no-confidence vote against his predecessor Mariano Rajoy. Spain has a long and rich history of foreign relations that dates back to the Middle Ages. Over the centuries, Spain has sought to promote peace, stability and prosperity in Europe and around the world. As a member of the European Union, Spain is actively involved in regional affairs and is committed to promoting democracy, human rights and rule of law at home and abroad. Spain has developed close ties with its neighbors in Europe such as France, Germany, Portugal, Italy and the United Kingdom. Spain also maintains strong diplomatic relations with other countries around the world including China, Japan, India and Brazil. Additionally, Spain is an active participant in multilateral forums such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). In addition to its diplomatic efforts Spain is also an important economic power which has sought to increase trade flows with partners such as China, India and other members of ASEAN. Through these partnerships Spain hopes to promote economic growth while at home it is committed to reforming its economy by introducing free market policies that would allow businesses to compete globally. Spain is also a major contributor to international peacekeeping operations around the world. The Spanish Armed Forces are active participants in UN Peacekeeping missions as well as regional initiatives for security such as those led by NATO or the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). Additionally, Spain takes part in humanitarian efforts aimed at providing aid for victims of natural disasters or conflicts worldwide. See relationshipsplus for Spain defense and foreign policy.