Skip to content

Where are you from?

Choose your province and we will tell you how the deputies and senators you elected vote, one by one.

 

We remember it in this browser. If you create an account, we keep it there.
Sign in

Type a law, a topic, a person or a province.

History

The Cortes, through the years

From a meeting in León in 1188 to today's Congreso and Senate: 35 moments that explain how Spain has come to decide who makes the laws and who gets to vote. For those discovering it for the first time and for those who lived through it.

Each moment links to its official source: the BOE, the Diarios de Sesiones, the Congreso, the Senate, UNESCO or the Royal Academy of History.

35 moments

From 1188 to 1976

1188

1188

The Cortes of León

In 1188, King Alfonso IX of León called to his court not only bishops and nobles but also elected representatives of the towns. That meeting produced the Decreta, which protected people's homes, property and access to justice against abuse. UNESCO recognizes them as the oldest documentary evidence of the European parliamentary system.

Why it matters today. The idea that a ruler should not decide alone, but listen to the people's representatives, is more than eight centuries old in Spain.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1810

September 24, 1810

The Cortes of Cádiz open

With much of the peninsula occupied by Napoleon's troops, a parliament met on the Isla de León with deputies from Spain, the Americas and the Philippines. One of its first decisions was to declare that sovereignty belonged to the nation and to separate the powers of the state. It was the birth of the modern parliament in Spain.

Why it matters today. The principle that power comes from the nation, not the king, underpins today's Constitution.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1812

March 19, 1812

La Pepa, Spain's first Constitution

The Cortes of Cádiz enacted Spain's first Constitution, nicknamed La Pepa because it was proclaimed on Saint Joseph's Day. It recognized national sovereignty, the separation of powers and freedom of the press. Ferdinand VII repealed it in 1814; it was back in force from 1820 to 1823.

Why it matters today. It was one of Europe's earliest constitutions and served as a model for others in Europe and the Americas.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1837

1834 and 1837

The Senate is born

The Royal Statute of 1834 created, for the first time, a parliament with two chambers. The 1837 Constitution named them the Senado and the Congreso de los Diputados, names still in use today. Throughout the 19th century the Senate was mostly appointed by the Crown or held by right, with little electoral basis.

Why it matters today. Spain has had a two-chamber parliament for almost two centuries, and both names date from 1837.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1850

October 31, 1850

The Palace of the Congreso

Until then, deputies met in borrowed buildings such as former convents and theaters. Queen Isabella II laid the first stone of the palace on Madrid's Carrera de San Jerónimo in 1843 and opened it in 1850. It was designed by the architect Narciso Pascual y Colomer, and the two bronze lions on the steps are by Ponzano.

Why it matters today. The Congreso still meets in the same building, and its semicircular chamber is the image most people associate with Spanish politics.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1869

January 15, 1869

All men get the vote

After the 1868 revolution, a parliament was elected for the first time by universal male suffrage: adult men could vote without having to meet a wealth requirement. That parliament approved the 1869 Constitution, with a broad bill of rights. Women still could not vote.

Why it matters today. It was the first step toward the universal vote we now take for granted.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1873

February 11, 1873

The Cortes and the First Republic

On February 11, 1873, King Amadeo of Savoy gave up the crown and the First Republic began. It was a short and unstable period: in eleven months four presidents followed one another, Figueras, Pi y Margall, Salmerón and Castelar.

Why it matters today. It shows the Cortes themselves deciding the form of the state at a moment of crisis.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1876

1876 and 1890

The longest-lived constitution before today's

With the return of the monarchy under Alfonso XII, a short, 89-article Constitution was approved that stayed in force for almost half a century, until 1923. In 1890 a law gave the vote back to all men over 25. Conservatives and Liberals took turns in power for decades, in elections often shaped by local political bosses (caciquismo).

Why it matters today. Until the 1978 Constitution overtook it, it was the longest-lasting Spanish constitution.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1931

June 28, 1931

The first three women deputies

After the Second Republic was proclaimed, women could be elected for the first time, although they still could not vote. Clara Campoamor, Victoria Kent and Margarita Nelken, from three different parties, took their seats.

Why it matters today. Today nearly half of the Congreso are women; the path started with these three.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1931

October 1 and December 9, 1931

Women win the vote

During the constitutional debate, the Cortes voted on whether women should have the right to vote. Clara Campoamor argued for it; Victoria Kent asked to postpone it. The yes side won, and the 1931 Constitution gave men and women the same voting rights from age 23.

Why it matters today. Women's suffrage in Spain came out of a debate and a vote in the Congreso, with arguments on both sides.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1933

November 19, 1933

Women vote for the first time

In the 1933 election, women voted in a parliamentary election for the first time. Center and right-wing lists won; left-wing lists won in 1936. Those were the last free elections before the Civil War, which began in July 1936 and ended in 1939 with the end of the Republic.

Why it matters today. Since then, no Spanish election has been imaginable without men and women voting equally.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1942

July 17, 1942

The Cortes under Franco

Under General Franco's dictatorship there was a parliament, but it was not elected by universal suffrage. Its members, the procuradores, sat by virtue of their office, by appointment of the head of state, or by election within trade unions, town councils and other corporations. The head of state had the final say.

Why it matters today. It explains why, in 1977, a democratic parliament had to be built starting from these same Cortes.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1976

November 18, 1976

The Cortes vote themselves out

After Franco's death, Adolfo Suárez's government introduced the Political Reform Act, which provided for a two-chamber parliament elected by universal suffrage. The Cortes themselves passed it by 425 votes to 59, with 13 abstentions, and it was then put to a referendum.

Why it matters today. The move to democracy happened through the existing legal procedures rather than a break with them, and that shaped the whole Transition.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
  • Drawn portrait of Adolfo Suárez
    Adolfo Suárez

Since 1977: democracy

1977

June 15, 1977

The first democratic election in 41 years

For the first time since 1936, Spaniards freely elected their deputies and senators, with parties from across the political spectrum. The Senate had 248 members: 207 elected and 41 appointed by the King. Although they were not called as a constituent assembly, these were the Cortes that drafted the Constitution.

Why it matters today. It is the starting point of today's democracy; parliamentary terms are counted from here.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1978

December 6, 1978

The Constitution

Seven deputies from different groups wrote the draft, which received thousands of amendments. The Congreso and the Senate approved it on October 31, and voters ratified it in a referendum on December 6. It defines Spain as a parliamentary monarchy and creates the Cortes Generales: the Congreso and the Senate, the latter as the chamber of territorial representation.

Why it matters today. It is still in force and is the longest-lasting in Spain's history; everything El Pleno explains rests on it.

  • Drawn portrait of Gabriel Cisneros
    Gabriel Cisneros
  • Drawn portrait of Miguel Herrero de Miñón
    Miguel Herrero de Miñón
  • Drawn portrait of José Pedro Pérez-Llorca
    José Pedro Pérez-Llorca
  • Drawn portrait of Gregorio Peces-Barba
    Gregorio Peces-Barba
  • Drawn portrait of Manuel Fraga
    Manuel Fraga
  • Drawn portrait of Jordi Solé Tura
    Jordi Solé Tura
  • Drawn portrait of Miquel Roca
    Miquel Roca
Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1979

December 18, 1979

The first statutes of autonomy

The Cortes passed the statutes of the Basque Country and Catalonia, the first two of the system of autonomous communities. Others followed until there were 17 autonomous communities, joined in 1995 by the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. Each statute is an organic law passed by the Cortes Generales.

Why it matters today. Health care, schools and many everyday services are run by your autonomous community because of these statutes.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1981

February 23, 1981

The attempted coup

During the second investiture vote for Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo, an armed group of Civil Guards led by Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Tejero entered the chamber and held the deputies and the government overnight. The attempt failed. On February 25 the chamber resumed its session and Calvo-Sotelo was confirmed as prime minister.

Why it matters today. Two days later the Congreso finished the interrupted vote; democracy carried on through Parliament.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
1981

July 7, 1981

The divorce law

Under a UCD government, the Cortes amended the Civil Code to allow divorce, which had not existed in Spain since the Second Republic. The law also regulated legal separation and annulment. It was one of the most intense debates of those years.

Why it matters today. It changed family law and the lives of millions of people.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1982

October 28, 1982

The first change of government

The election gave Felipe González's PSOE an absolute majority, and government passed from one party to another through the ballot box for the first time since 1977. Since then, different parties have taken turns in government, always after an election or a motion of no confidence.

Why it matters today. Peaceful transfers of power are one of the tests of a settled democracy.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
  • Drawn portrait of Adolfo Suárez
    Adolfo Suárez
  • Drawn portrait of Felipe González
    Felipe González
1985

June 12, 1985

Spain joins Europe

Spain signed the treaty to join the European Communities in Madrid, while Portugal signed in Lisbon. The Cortes first authorized membership with an organic law, as the Constitution requires. Spain became a member on January 1, 1986.

Why it matters today. Passport-free travel, Erasmus exchanges and paying in euros all trace back to this.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1986

April 25, 1986

The General Health Act

Under a PSOE government, the Cortes passed the law that created the National Health System. It organized public health care into health areas run by the autonomous communities and extended it as a right to the whole population.

Why it matters today. Your local health center and health card exist because of this law.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1992

August 27, 1992

The first constitutional amendment

To ratify the Maastricht Treaty, the Cortes amended the Constitution for the first time. They added two words, y pasivo (the right to stand), so that citizens of other European Union countries can be elected, not only vote, in municipal elections.

Why it matters today. If you are from another EU country and live in Spain, you can run for your town council.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
1999

February 9, 1999 and April 5, 2000

The first women to lead each chamber

In 1999 Esperanza Aguirre became the first woman to preside over the Senate, and in 2000 Luisa Fernanda Rudi became the first woman Speaker of the Congreso. Both were from the PP. Other women from different parties have since led the Congreso: Ana Pastor (PP), Meritxell Batet (PSOE) and Francina Armengol (PSOE).

Why it matters today. Both chambers have now been led by women from different parties; it is no longer news, and once it was.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
  • Drawn portrait of Esperanza Aguirre
    Esperanza Aguirre
  • Drawn portrait of Luisa Fernanda Rudi
    Luisa Fernanda Rudi
2001

December 31, 2001

Goodbye to compulsory military service

Under a PP government, the Cortes approved fully professional armed forces in 1999 and the end of compulsory military service, which the government brought forward to December 31, 2001. Since then no young person has been required to serve.

Why it matters today. For generations almost every young man spent months in military service; those born from the 1980s on did not.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
2002

January 1, 2002

The euro arrives

Under a PP government, the Cortes passed the law that organized the switch from the peseta to the euro. The euro had been the official currency since 1999, and coins and notes arrived on January 1, 2002. The peseta, in use since 1868, left circulation a few weeks later.

Why it matters today. It is the money you spend every day and share with much of Europe.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2005

July 1, 2005

Same-sex marriage

Under a PSOE government, the Cortes amended the Civil Code so that two people of the same sex could marry with the same rights. The law was challenged before the Constitutional Court, which upheld it in November 2012.

Why it matters today. Since then, same-sex couples have married with the same rights as any other couple.

Show sources (2)Hide sources (2)
2011

September 27, 2011

The Article 135 amendment

In the middle of the debt crisis, the PSOE and the PP agreed to amend the Constitution to enshrine budget stability and give priority to paying the public debt. It went through an expedited procedure in a few weeks. It was the second amendment to the Constitution.

Why it matters today. It caps public deficits and shapes every budget the Cortes vote on.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2013

December 9, 2013

The Transparency Act

Under a PP government, the Cortes passed the law requiring public bodies to publish information about how they work and giving anyone the right to request public information. It also created the Transparency Portal.

Why it matters today. Anyone can request information from the government, and sites like El Pleno build on that culture of open data.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2014

June 18 and 19, 2014

Abdication and proclamation before the Cortes

When Juan Carlos I decided to abdicate, the Constitution required the Cortes to settle it with an organic law. The Congreso and the Senate passed it, and the next day Felipe VI swore to uphold the Constitution before both chambers in a joint session at the Congreso.

Why it matters today. In a parliamentary monarchy, even the royal succession goes through Parliament.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
  • Drawn portrait of Juan Carlos I
    Juan Carlos I
  • Drawn portrait of Felipe VI
    Felipe VI
2016

May 3, 2016

A repeat election for the first time

The 2015 election produced a far more fragmented Congreso, with four large groups instead of two. No candidate won an investiture vote within two months and, for the first time, the Constitution required the Cortes to be dissolved and the election repeated.

Why it matters today. Since then, forming a government has required deals among several parties, and investitures are negotiated far more.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2018

June 1, 2018

The first successful motion of no confidence

The Socialist Group filed a motion of no confidence against Mariano Rajoy's government, with Pedro Sánchez as the alternative candidate. It passed with 180 votes in favor, 169 against and 1 abstention. It was the fourth since 1980 and the first to succeed; the two that followed, in 2020 and 2023, failed.

Why it matters today. A motion of no confidence is how the Congreso can replace a government without an election, provided it names an alternative candidate.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2020

2019 and January 7, 2020

Two elections in a year and a coalition government

Spain held two general elections in 2019: after April's, no investiture succeeded and the Cortes were dissolved again. After the November election, Pedro Sánchez was confirmed and formed a government of PSOE and Unidas Podemos, the first coalition government since 1977.

Why it matters today. Coalition governments, common in other European countries, arrived in Spain too.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2023

September 21, 2023

All official languages in the Congreso

The Congreso amended its rules so that deputies could speak and file documents in any of the official languages of the autonomous communities, with simultaneous interpretation. The Senate had partly allowed this since 2010. The change had both supporters and opponents among the groups.

Why it matters today. Catalan, Basque and Galician can now be heard in the Congreso, alongside Spanish.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2024

February 15, 2024

The Article 49 amendment

The PSOE and the PP agreed on the third amendment to the Constitution, which replaced the word disminuidos ("handicapped") with "persons with disabilities" and strengthened their rights. Disability organizations had called for it for years.

Why it matters today. The Constitution's wording matters: this amendment changed how it names millions of people.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
2026

October 6, 2026

Dissolution and the 16th Legislature

On October 6, 2026, the decree dissolving the Cortes elected in 2023 was published, calling a general election for November 29. The new Cortes will meet on December 23, when the 16th Legislature begins. The history of the Cortes keeps being written with every vote.

Why it matters today. It is the next page of this story, and your vote writes it.

Show sources (1)Hide sources (1)
And today, how does it work? The Congreso, the Senate, the Government and the King, explained How a law is made, how the prime minister is chosen and who does what, with the Constitution in hand. How it works

How we chose these moments

We tell facts that can be checked and link the source of each one. The laws that changed everyday life came from governments of every color: UCD (divorce), PSOE (health care, Europe, same-sex marriage), PP (the end of compulsory military service, the euro, transparency), and amendments to the Constitution agreed between the PSOE and the PP. We left out subjects that cannot be summed up fairly in a few lines; we will explain them with more room.

Something missing, or a mistake?

Write to us from the corrections page with a source that backs it up. The drawings are by El Pleno; the portraits are drawn from photographs by the Congreso, the Senate and Wikimedia Commons, credited below.

Suggest a correction

Portraits

The portraits are pencil drawings made for El Pleno. This is the reference photograph for each.