President of the Congress of Deputies facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Congress of Deputies
Coat of Arms of the Congress of Deputies
Incumbent Francina Armengol since 17 August 2023
Congress of Deputies
Style	The Most Excellent
Seat	Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid
Appointer	Congress of Deputies
Term length	Four years, renewable
Constituting instrument	Spanish Constitution
Formation	24 September 1810; 214 years ago (1810-09-24)
First holder	Ramón Lázaro de Dou y de Bassols
Deputy	Vice Presidents
Salary	€230,926.48 annually
Website	www.congreso.es

The President of the Congress of Deputies (in Spanish, Presidente del Congreso de los Diputados) is like the main leader or "speaker" of the Congress of Deputies. This is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, which is Spain's parliament. The President is chosen by the members of the Congress. After the King and the Prime Minister, this person is one of the most important figures in Spain.

Even though the President of the Congress shares the job of representing the Cortes Generales with the President of the Senate, the President of the Congress has more power. This is because they play a key role in approving royal decisions and in choosing the Prime Minister. This makes them the main leader of the part of the government that makes laws. The Congress of Deputies also has more influence than the Senate, which further strengthens the President's position.

This important role was officially created by the Spanish Constitution of 1978 in 1978. However, the position has a long history, going back over 200 years to 1810. Back then, it was known as the President of the Cortes of Cádiz.

The current President is Francina Armengol. She became President on August 17, 2023. She is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and represents the Balearic Islands.

What the President Does

The President of the Congress of Deputies has several important jobs:

• They lead and keep order during debates. This makes sure that the Congress can do its work smoothly.
• They guide and organize the work of the Bureau, which helps manage the Congress.
• They represent the entire Congress of Deputies.
• They explain the rules of the Congress. They do this with the agreement of the Bureau and the Board of Spokespersons.

How the President is Chosen

The President of the Congress of Deputies is elected in a special meeting. This meeting happens after a general election or if the previous President steps down.

First, a temporary group is formed to oversee the election. This group includes the oldest member of the Congress, who acts as a temporary Speaker, and two of the youngest members, who act as secretaries.

The President is elected by getting more than half of the votes (an absolute majority). If no one gets an absolute majority in the first vote, there's a second vote. In this second vote, only the two candidates who got the most votes in the first round can be chosen. The person who gets the most votes in this second round wins. Each member of Congress can vote for anyone they wish. However, members of the largest political groups usually vote for a candidate chosen by their party.

A President's term ends if they pass away, resign, are no longer a member of Congress, or if the Congress is dissolved before new elections.

Vice Presidents

The rules of the Congress state that there are four Deputy Speakers, also called Vice Presidents. These Vice Presidents are chosen in a way that ensures the largest political parties in the Congress are represented.

The Vice Presidents help the President. They can take over if the President is not available, absent, or unable to do their job. The President can also ask them to perform certain duties. A Vice President must also be present at meetings of the Board of Spokespersons.

Order	Name		Term start	Party
1st		Alfonso Rodríguez	3 December 2019		PSOE
2nd		José Antonio Bermúdez de Castro	17 August 2023		PP
3rd		Esther Gil de Reboleno Lastortres [es]	17 August 2023		Sumar
4th		Marta González Vázquez	17 August 2023		PP

See also

In Spanish: Presidente del Congreso de los Diputados para niños