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 leaders in Spain.

The President of the Congress of Deputies shares the job of representing the Spanish parliament with the President of the Senate. However, the President of the Congress has special powers. These powers include helping with royal approvals and leading the process to choose the Prime Minister. This makes the President of the Congress the main leader of the part of government that makes laws. The lower house, the Congress, also has more power than the Senate, which makes the President's role even stronger.

This important job was officially created by the Spanish Constitution in 1978. But the idea of a "speaker" for the parliament has been around for over 200 years. It started in 1810 with the President of the Cortes of Cádiz.

The current President is Francina Armengol. She is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party. She represents the Balearic Islands in the Congress. She is the President for the 15th Cortes Generales.

What is a Collective Presidency?

In parliaments around the world, there are usually two main ways to lead the assembly. One way is called a "collective presidency." This means a group of people, often called a "Bureau," leads the parliament together. The other way is an "individual speakership," where one person is the main leader.

Spain uses the "collective presidency" model. In this system, a group called the Bureau helps manage the daily work of the Congress. The President of the Congress leads this Bureau. The President also guides the debates in the main chamber and makes sure everyone's rights are respected, including those of the opposition parties. Even though they are the President, they can still be part of their political party and speak in debates.

Some countries, like the United Kingdom, use the "individual speakership" model. In this system, the Speaker is the only person responsible for making sure the parliament is independent and fair. Other people handle the daily work of the parliament. For example, in the UK, the Speaker tries to stay neutral and not show political favoritism. In the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is also the leader of the main political party in the House.

What Does the President Do?

The President of the Congress has several important jobs:

• They lead and keep order during debates. This helps make sure the Congress can get its work done smoothly.
• They guide and organize the work of the Bureau.
• 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 is the President Elected?

The President of the Congress is chosen when the new Congress first meets after a general election. They can also be elected if the previous President resigns.

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. It also includes two of the youngest members, who act as secretaries. This group makes sure the election runs fairly.

To win, a candidate needs an absolute majority of votes. This means they need more than half of all the votes. If no one gets an absolute majority in the first round, there's a second round of voting. In the second round, only the two candidates with the most votes from the first round can be chosen. The winner of the second round needs a simple majority, meaning more "yes" votes than "no" votes. Each member of Congress can vote for anyone they want. 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, stop being a member of Congress, or if the Congress is dissolved before new elections.

Who are the Vice Presidents?

The rules of the Congress say there are four Vice Presidents. These Vice Presidents are also chosen by the members of Congress. They are elected in a way that helps make sure the largest political parties in 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 do certain tasks. 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