Government and Society

SPAIN
The Constitution: establishes the form of government and basic institutions, and it defines the rights and duties of citizens. All laws must follow the Constitution.
A constitutional monarchy. Spain is a constitutonal monarchy. The monarch is the Head of State, but cannot make political decisions. The Spanish monarchy is hereditary: it is transmitted from parent to child.
Parliament: Las Cortes is the name of the Spanish parliament. It creates and approves laws and controls government actions. The members of parliament are elected in general elections. These are held up to four years after the previous elections.
Parliament consists of two houses: the Congress of Deputies, with 350 deputies, and the Senate, with a variable number of senators.
The Government: establishes economic, social and political objectives. It passes laws and is also responsible for international relations. The government consists of the following:
The president leads the government, is nominated by the monarch and elected by the Congress of Deputies.
The ministers supervise different areas, such as defence, education and the economu. They are appointed by the president and approved by the monarch.
The Courts of Justice: are made up of judges. They are responsible for ensuring that laws are obeyed.
The Supreme Court, the highest Court of Justice, has authority over the entire country.
The Constitutional Court decides if laws follow the Constitution.

EUROPEAN UNION
The EU has got its own political institutions. The four most important are:
The European Commission enforces the EU's laws and rules (executive power in the EU). It also administers economic funds and proposes new laws. The European Commission is formed by 27 commissioners (one from each member state). One of the commissioners acts as the president of the Commission. Its office is in Brussels
The European Parliament prepares and passes laws and budgets (legislative power). It also monitors the other European institutions. The European Parliament is formed by members who are elected by the citizens of Europe every 5 years. They are called MEPs (Members of the European Parliament). Its office is in Strasbourg.
The Council of the European Union makes important decisions about general matters like the economy, foreign policy or health (legislative power). The Council includes ministers from the governments of all 27 member states. Its office is in Brussels.
The European Courts of Justice. It is formed of a judge from each country (judicial power). Its mission is to guarantee the application of European agreements and resolve disputes related to the laws of the EU.