The prime minister of Spain is the head of government of Spain. There is no specific date as to when the office of prime minister first appeared as the role was not created, but rather evolved over a period of time through a merger of duties. Modern historians have not managed to agree who the first prime minister of Spain was, but Francisco Martínez de la Rosa was the first prime minister recognized by a constitutional law (the Spanish Royal Statute of 1834).
In contemporary Spain, the first prime minister of the Kingdom of Spain since the approval of the Constitution of 1978 was Adolfo Suárez. Due to the gradual evolution of the post, the title has been applied to early prime ministers retroactively. The following list therefore includes those who have been referred to as various other titles since the creation of the Council of Ministers in 1823.
Since the reign of Philip V, prime ministers have received several names, such as First Secretary of State (until 1834), President of the Council of Ministers (1834–1868; 1874–1923; 1925–1939), President of the Executive Power (1874) or President of the Government (1973–present), among others. Between 1938 and 1973, the post of President of the Government was personally linked to the person serving as Head of State.
Before 1823
There is no specific date when the office of prime minister first appeared as the role was not created, but rather evolved over a period of time through merger of duties. The government was led by a Valido, a favourite of the Monarch or the ruling Regent. Since 1621, there was also a Secretary of State of the Universal Bureau (Secretario de Estado y del Despacho Universal), but this seems to have been rather a subordinate position.
Later, the reforms introduced by Phillip V in the 1710s established several secretaries of state for specific government areas, and the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Secretario de Estado y del Despacho de Estado) was eventually known as the First Secretary of State due to its de facto role as primer minister. This position was consolidated with the establishment of the Council of Ministers in 1823 which the First Secretary of State chaired over in the king's absence, and in 1834 the First Secretary of State became known as President of the Council of Ministers.
Secretaries of State and the Universal Bureau Picture Name From Until Monarch(Reign)Pedro Fernández del Campo y Salvatierra, Marquis of Mejorada11 July 170515 April 1714King Philip V(1700–1724)Manuel de Vadillo y Velasco15 April 171430 November 1714José de Grimaldo y Gutiérrez de SolórzanoMarquis of Grimaldo(1st time)30 November 171414 January 1724Juan Bautista de Orendáin y Azpilicueta(1st time)14 January 17244 September 1724King Louis I(1724)José de Grimaldo y Gutiérrez de SolórzanoMarquis of Grimaldo(2nd time)4 September 172412 December 1725King Philip V(1724–1746)Juan Guillermo RipperdáDuke and Baron of Ripperdá12 December 172514 April 1726José de Grimaldo y Gutiérrez de SolórzanoMarquis of Grimaldo(3rd time)14 April 17261 October 1726Juan Bautista de Orendáin y AzpilicuetaMarquis of la Paz(2nd time)1 October 172621 October 1734
First Secretaries of State Picture Name From Until Monarch(Reign)José de Patiño y Rosales21 October 17343 November 1736King Philip V(1724–1746)Sebastián de la Cuadra y Llerena1st Marquis of Villarías26 November 17364 December 1746José de Carvajal y Lancáster4 December 17469 April 1754King Ferdinand VI(1746–1759)Fernando de Silva Mendoza y ToledoDuke of HuéscarActing First Secretary of State9 April 175415 May 1754Ricardo Wall15 May 175410 August 175910 August 17599 October 1763King Charles III(1759–1788)Pablo Jerónimo de Grimaldi y PallaviciniDuke of Grimaldi9 October 176319 February 1777José Moñino y RedondoCount of Floridablanca19 February 177714 December 178814 December 178828 February 1792King Charles IV(1788–1808)Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea y Ximénez de UrreaCount of ArandaActing First Secretary of State28 February 179215 November 1792Manuel de Godoy y Álvarez de Faria RíosDuke of Alcudia15 November 179228 March 1798Francisco Saavedra de SangronisActing First Secretary of State until 6 September 179830 March 179821 February 1799Mariano Luis de Urquijo y MugaActing First Secretary of State12 February 179913 December 1799Pedro Cevallos Guerra(1st time)13 December 17993 March 1808Gonzalo O'Farrill y HerreraActing First Secretary of State3 March 180819 March 1808Pedro Cevallos Guerra(2nd time)19 March 18087 July 1808King Ferdinand VII(1808)Mariano Luis de Urquijo y Muga(2nd time)7 July 180827 June 1813King Joseph I(1808–1813)Juan O'Donojú O'RyanActing First Secretary of State10 October 181317 October 1813Fernando de LasernaActing First Secretary of State17 October 18133 December 1813José LuyandoActing First Secretary of State3 December 18134 May 1814King Ferdinand VII(1813–1833)José Miguel de Carvajal-Vargas y Manrique de LaraDuke of San Carlos4 May 181415 November 1814Pedro Cevallos Guerra(3rd time)15 November 181424 January 1816Juan Esteban Lozano de Torres24 January 181626 January 1816Pedro Cevallos Guerra(4th time)26 January 181630 October 1816José García de León y Pizarro30 October 181614 September 1818Carlos Martínez de Irujo y TacónMarquis of Casa IrujoActing First Secretary of State14 September 181812 June 1819Manuel González Salmón y Gómez de TorresActing First Secretary of State12 June 181912 September 1819Joaquín José Melgarejo y SaurínDuke of San Fernando de Quiroga12 September 181918 March 1820Juan Jabat AztalActing First Secretary of State18 March 1820Evaristo Pérez de Castro y Brito18 March 18202 March 1821Joaquín Anduaga CuencaActing First Secretary of State2 March 182123 April 1821Francisco de Paula EscuderoActing First Secretary of State23 April 1821Eusebio Bardají y Azara23 April 18218 January 1822Ramón López PelegrínActing First Secretary of State8 January 182224 January 1822José Gabriel de Silva y BazánMarquis of Santa Cruz24 January 182230 January 1822Ramón López PelegrínActing First Secretary of State30 January 182228 February 1822Francisco Martínez de la Rosa28 February 18225 August 1822Evaristo Fernández de San Miguel y ValledorActing First Secretary of State from 28 February 18225 August 182225 April 1823José Manuel VadilloActing First Secretary of State25 April 18237 May 1823Santiago Usoz y MoziActing First Secretary of State7 May 182313 May 1823José María Pando de la Riva y Ramírez de Laredo13 May 182329 August 1823Luis María de Salazar y SalazarActing First Secretary of State29 August 18234 September 1823Juan Antonio Yandiola GarayActing First Secretary of State4 September 18236 September 1823José Luyando(2nd time)6 September 18231 October 1823Víctor Damián Sáez y Sánchez-MayorActing First Secretary of State until 7 August 1823(counter-government until 1 October 1823.)25 April 182319 November 1823
List of officeholders Office title First Secretary of State (1823–1834) President of the Council of Ministers (1834–1868; 1869–1873; 1874–1923; 1925–1931; 1931–1939) President of the Provisional Government and of the Council of Ministers (1868–1869) President of the Executive Power (1869; 1873–1874) Head of the Government and President of the Military Directory (1923–1925) President of the Provisional Government (1931) Head of State and President of the Government (1938–1973) President of the Government (1973–present)
Kingdom of Spain (1823–1868) Governments:
Portrait Name Term of office Party Government Election Head of State Víctor Damián Sáez 1823 1823 Nonpartisan Sáez Ferdinand VII Carlos Martínez de IrujoMarquis of Casa Irujo 1823 1823 Irujo Narciso HerediaCount of Ofalia 1823 1824 Ofalia I Francisco Cea Bermúdez 1824 1825 Cea Bermúdez I Pedro de AlcántaraÁlvarez de Toledo13th Duke of the Infantado 1825 1826 Infantado Manuel González Salmón 1826 1832 Salmón Antonio de Saavedra7th Count of la Alcudia 1832 1832 Alcudia (interim) Francisco Cea Bermúdez 1832 1834 Cea Bermúdez II MariaChristinaof the TwoSicilies Francisco Martínez de la Rosa 1834 1835 Moderate Martínez de la Rosa II 1834 José María Queipo de Llano7th Count of Toreno 1835 1835 Toreno Miguel Ricardo de Álava 1835 1835 Progressive Álava–Mendizabal Juan Álvarez Mendizábal 1835 1836 1836 Francisco Javier de Istúriz 1836 1836 Moderate Istúriz I 1836 José María Calatrava 1836 1837 Progressive Calatrava 1836 José María Calatrava 1837 1837 Progressive Baldomero EsparteroCount of Luchana 1837 1837 Espartero I 1837 Eusebio Bardají Azara 1837 1837 Moderate Bardají Narciso HerediaCount of Ofalia 1837 1838 Ofalia II Bernardino Fernándezde Velasco14th Duke of Frías 1838 1838 Frías Evaristo Pérez de Castro 1838 1840 Pérez de Castro 1839 1840 Antonio González 1840 1840 Progressive González I Valentín Ferraz 1840 1840 Ferraz Modesto Cortázar 1840 1840 Cortázar (interim) Vicente Sancho 1840 1840 Sancho Baldomero EsparteroDuke of la Victoria and Morella 1840 1841 Espartero II BaldomeroEspartero 1841 Joaquín María Ferrer 1841 1841 Progressive Ferrer Antonio González 1841 1842 González II José Ramón RodilMarquis of Rodil 1842 1843 Rodil 1843 Joaquín María López 1843 1843 Progressive López I Álvaro Gómez Becerra 1843 1843 Progressive Gómez Becerra Joaquín María López 1843 1843 Progressive López II 1843 Isabella II Salustiano Olózaga 1843 1843 Olózaga Luis González Bravo 1843 1844 Moderate González Bravo I Ramón María Narváez 1844 1846 Narváez I 1844 Manuel Pando2nd Marquis of Miraflores 1846 1846 Miraflores I Ramón María NarváezDuke of Valencia 1846 1846 Narváez II Francisco Javier de Istúriz 1846 1847 Istúriz II 1846 Carlos Martínez de IrujoDuke of Sotomayor2nd Marquis of Casa Irujo 1847 1847 Sotomayor Joaquín Francisco Pacheco 1847 1847 Pacheco Florencio García Goyena 1847 1847 Goyena Ramón María NarváezDuke of Valencia 1847 1849 Narváez III Serafín María de Sotto3rd Count of Clonard 1849 1849 De Sotto Ramón María NarváezDuke of Valencia 1849 1851 Narváez IV 1850 Juan Bravo Murillo 1851 1852 Bravo Murillo 1851 Federico RoncaliCount of Alcoy 1852 1853 Roncali 1853 Francisco Lersundi 1853 1853 Lersundi Luis José SartoriusCount of San Luis 1853 1854 Sartorius Fernando Fernándezde Córdova 1854 1854 Córdova Ángel de SaavedraDuke of Rivas 1854 1854 Rivas Baldomero EsparteroDuke of la Victoria and Morella 1854 1854 Progressive Espartero III 1854 1854 1856 Espartero IV Leopoldo O'DonnellCount of Lucena 1856 1856 Liberal Union O'Donnell I Ramón María NarváezDuke of Valencia 1856 1857 Moderate Narváez V 1857 Francisco Armero Peñaranda 1857 1858 Peñaranda Francisco Javier de Istúriz 1858 1858 Istúriz III Leopoldo O'DonnellCount of Lucena 1858 1859 Liberal Union O'Donnell II 1858 Saturnino Calderón Collantes 1859 1860 Calderón (interim) Leopoldo O'DonnellDuke of Tetuán 1860 1863 O'Donnell II 1863 1863 O'Donnell III Manuel Pando2nd Marquis of Miraflores 1863 1864 Moderate Miraflores II 1863 Lorenzo Arrazola 1864 1864 Arrazola Alejandro Mon 1864 1864 Mon Ramón María NarváezDuke of Valencia 1864 1865 Narváez VI 1864 Leopoldo O'DonnellDuke of Tetuán 1865 1866 Liberal Union O'Donnell IV 1865 Ramón María NarváezDuke of Valencia 1866 1868 Moderate Narváez VII 1867 Luis González Bravo 1868 1868 González Bravo II José Gutiérrez de la ConchaMarquis of Havana 1868 1868 Havana
Democratic Sexennium and First Republic (1868–1874) Governments: