The president of the Senate is the highest authority of the Senate of Spain, the upper house of the Cortes Generales, the legislative branch of Spain. The President is elected by and among the incumbent senators.
The office was established in 1834 by the Royal Statue which structured the legislature as a bicameral parliament with an upper house called House of Peers, formed by high clerics, grandees, other nobles and relevant members of the civil society. The current name of the upper house is Senate since 1837 and is currently regulated in Part III, Section 69 of the Constitution of 1978 which establishes a chamber with two kind of members: popular-elected senators and senators designated by regional legislatures.
In its almost two centuries of history, the Senate has not been always active. Between August 1836 and November 1837 the upper house was suppressed because of a revolt against the conservative government of the Queen Regent which forced her to reinstate the Constitution of 1812. In late 1837, a new Constitution was passed and the political stability restored. The next suppression happened in 1873, after the abdication of King Amadeo I, and was reestablished in 1877 when the Constitution of 1876 was passed.
Under the protection of this last constitution, there was the longest period of stability that lasted until the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in 1923, which established a unicameral parliament. After the end of the dictatorship and the end of the Reign of Alfonso XIII, the Second Republic did not recover the upper house and maintained the unicameral parliament, thing that also did the dictator Francisco Franco. With the recovery of democracy, in 1977 the bicameral parliament was reestablished.
Since its creation in 1834, 44 people have served as president in 63 presidencies. The first president was the Duke of Bailén who served for 60 days before resigning. The shortest presidency was that of the Marquess of Miraflores which was president briefly between August 3 and August 12, 1836 and the longest was that of Javier Rojo serving 7 years, 8 months and 10 days. Many presidents have served in non-consecutive terms in office; The Marquess of Miraflores and Eugenio Montero Ríos served in five non-consecutive terms. The first woman who have served as president was Esperanza Aguirre, between 1999 and 2002. The current and 63rd President is Pedro Rollán, senator representing Madrid.
List House of Peers
PresidencyNameStartEndPartyElectionRefs. Reign of Isabella II under the Regency of Maria Christina of Bourbon (1833-1840)1stThe Duke of Bailén17 July 183415 September 1834IndependentRoyal Prerogative (Royal Statue of 1834 § 12) 2ndThe Duke of Ahumada15 September 183430 May 1835Independent3rdPedro González VallejoArchbishop-elect of Toledo10 October 183523 May 1836Independent4thThe Marquess of Miraflores3 August 183612 August 1836Moderate Motín de La Granja de San Ildefonso. Se restaura la constitución de 1812 con un sistema unicameral. The House of Peers was suppressed during 1836 and 1837
Senate
PresidencyNameStartEndPartyElectionRefs. Reign of Isabella II under the Regency of Maria Christina of Bourbon (1833-1840)5thThe Count of Fontao18 November 183711 October 1840Moderate Royal Prerogative (Constitution of 1837 § 31) Reign of Isabella II under the Regency of Baldomero Espartero (1840-1843)6thThe Count of Almodóvar5 March 184131 May 1842ProgressiveRoyal Prerogative (Constitution of 1837 § 31) 7thÁlvaro Gómez Becerra22 June 184219 May 1843Progressive Reign of Isabella II (Queen's coming of age) (1843-1868)8thMauricio Carlos de Onís14 October 18434 July 1844ProgressiveProvisional Government9thThe Count of Fontao2 October 184428 July 1845Moderate Royal Prerogative (Constitution of 1837 § 31) 10thThe Marquess of Miraflores5 November 184530 October 1846Moderate Royal Prerogative (Constitution of 1845 § 30) 11thThe Marquess of Viluma29 December 18465 October 1847Moderate 12thThe Marquess of Miraflores6 November 18476 April 1851Moderate 13thThe Marquess of Viluma27 May 18517 January 1852Moderate 14thThe Marquess of Miraflores21 November 18522 December 1852Moderate 15thJoaquín Ezpeleta Enrile12 February 18539 April 1853Moderate 16thThe Marquess of Viluma18 November 185316 July 1857Moderate 17thFrancisco Javier de Istúriz30 January 185811 September 1858Moderate 18thThe Marquess of Duero20 November 185810 October 1865Moderate 19thThe Duke of la Torre12 December 186530 December 1866Liberal Union20thThe Marquess of Miraflores19 March 18676 December 1868Moderate Reign of Amadeo I (1871-1873)21stFrancisco Santa Cruz Pacheco4 April 187128 June 1872ConstitutionalChosen by the House (Constitution of 1869 § 46)22ndLaureano Figuerola18 September 187211 February 1873ConstitutionalRenuncia de Amadeo I, ambas cámaras se constituyen como Asamblea Nacional The Senate was suppressed during 1873 and 1877 Reign of Alfonso XII (1875-1885)23rdManuel García Barzanallana24 April 187725 June 1881ConservadorRoyal Prerogative (Constitution of 1876 § 36) Cierre de sesiones del Senado 24thThe Marquess of La Habana18 September 188126 July 1883Conservador 25thThe Duke of la Torre12 December 188331 March 1884Dynastic Left26thThe Count of Puñonrrostro16 May 188411 July 1885Conservador Regency of Maria Christina of Austria (1885-1902)27thArsenio Martínez Campos23 December 18858 March 1886LiberalRoyal Prerogative (Constitution of 1876 § 36) 28thThe Marquess of La Habana8 May 188629 December 1890Conservador 29thArsenio Martínez Campos27 February 18914 February 1893Liberal 30thThe Marquess of La Habana3 April 189316 October 1894Conservador 31stEugenio Montero Ríos10 November 189428 February 1896Liberal 32ndJosé Elduayen Gorriti7 May 189626 February 1898Conservador 33rdEugenio Montero Ríos18 April 189816 March 1899Liberal 34thArsenio Martínez Campos30 May 189923 September 1900 /18 October 1900Liberal 35thMarcelo Azcárraga Palmero18 October 19008 November 1900Conservador 36thThe Count of Tejada de Valdosera8 November 190024 April 1901Conservador37thEugenio Montero Ríos8 June 190126 March 1903Liberal Reign of Alfonso XIII (1902-1931)37thEugenio Montero Ríos8 June 190126 March 1903LiberalRoyal Prerogative (Constitution of 1876 § 36) 38thMarcelo Azcárraga Palmero15 May 190316 December 1904Conservador39thThe Marquess of Pidal19 December 190417 August 1905Conservador40thJosé López Domínguez9 October 19056 July 1906Liberal 41stEugenio Montero Ríos17 September 190630 March 1907Liberal 42ndMarcelo Azcárraga Palmero10 May 190714 April 1910Conservador43rdEugenio Montero Ríos9 June 191011 June 1913Liberal 44thMarcelo Azcárraga Palmero8 November 191330 May 1915Conservador45thJoaquín Sánchez de Toca25 June 191516 March 1916Conservador46thThe Marquess of Alhucemas6 May 191619 April 1917Liberal 47thAlejandro Groizard31 May 19172 May 1919Liberal 48thManuel Allendesalazar Muñoz23 June 191915 December 1919Conservador 49thJoaquín Sánchez de Toca15 December 1919>6 April 1923Conservador50thThe Count of Romanones26 May 192313 November 1923Liberal The Senate was suppressed during 1923 and 1977 PresidencyNameStartEndPartyElectionVotes Reign of Juan Carlos I (1975-2014)51stAntonio Fontán15 June 197726 March 1979UCDChosen by the House (Constitution of 1978 § 72)132 votesDiario ABC 14 de julio de 1977. http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1977/07/14/092.html52ndCecilio Valverde27 March 197917 November 1982UCD122 votesDiario ABC 28 de marzo de 1979. http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/sevilla/abc.sevilla/1979/03/28/019.html53rdJosé Federico de Carvajal18 November 198220 November 1989PSOE158 votesDiario ABC 19 de noviembre de 1982. http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1982/11/19/028.html235 votesDiario ABC 16 de julio de 1986. http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1986/07/16/022.html54thJuan José Laborda21 November 198926 March 1996PSOE144 votesDiario El País 22 de noviembre de 1989. https://elpais.com/diario/1989/11/22/espana/627692412_850215.html137 votesDiario El País 30 de junio de 1993. https://elpais.com/diario/1993/06/30/espana/741391202_850215.html55thJuan Ignacio Barrero27 March 19969 February 1999PP238 votesDiario El País 28 de marzo de 1996. https://elpais.com/diario/1996/03/28/espana/827967617_850215.html56thEsperanza Aguirre9 February 199917 October 2002PP223 votesDiario El País 29 de mayo de 2003. https://elpais.com/diario/2003/05/29/portada/1054159332_850215.html57thJuan José Lucas22 October 20021 April 2004PP155 votesDiario El País 23 de octubre de 2002. https://elpais.com/diario/2002/10/23/espana/1035324019_850215.html151 votesDiario El País 15 de julio de 2003. https://elpais.com/diario/2003/07/15/espana/1058220016_850215.html58thJavier Rojo2 April 200412 December 2011PSOE128 votesDiario El País 2 de febrero de 2004. https://elpais.com/elpais/2004/04/02/actualidad/1080893818_850215.html134 votesDiario El País 1 de abril de 2008. https://elpais.com/elpais/2008/04/01/actualidad/1207037827_850215.html59thThe Count of Badarán13 December 201120 May 2019PP180 votesDiario El País 14 de diciembre de 2011. https://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/politica-eD/noticias/3598127/12/11/AV-Pio-GarciaEscudero-elegido-presidente-del-Senado-sin-ningun-voto-en-contra.html?_ga=2.20337968.963899677.1555438032-1793142951.1553633957 Reign of Felipe VI (2014-)59thThe Count of Badarán13 December 201120 May 2019PPChosen by the House (Constitution of 1978 § 72)180 votes144 votesHuffington Post 13 de enero de 2016. https://www.huffingtonpost.es/2016/01/13/pio-garcia-escudero_n_8967922.html151 votesLa Vanguardia 20 de julio de 2016. https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20160719/403326635905/pio-garcia-escudero-presidente-senado.html60thManuel Cruz21 May 20192 December 2019PSOE140 votes61stPilar Llop3 December 20198 July 2021PSOE130 votes -Cristina Narbona (acting)8 July 202112 July 2021PSOE -62ndAnder Gil12 July 202116 August 2023PSOE132 votes63rdPedro Rollán17 August 2023IncumbentPP142 votes
References