The second government of Segismundo Moret was formed on 30 November 1906, following the latter's appointment as prime minister of Spain by King Alfonso XIII on 28 November and his swearing-in two days later, as a result of the "crisis of the letter" () having led to José López Domínguez's resignation from the post on 28 November. It succeeded the López Domínguez government and was the government of Spain from 30 November to 4 December 1906, a total of days.
The cabinet comprised members of the Liberal–Democratic alliance, one independent and one military officer. In one of the shortest governments in Spanish history, Moret's entrustment of power caused widespread criticism: his move to send a letter to the King surreptitiously warning him against the perceived dangers of López Domínguez's Law of Associations—criticized by the Catholic Church as "anti-clerical" due to its restriction of religious orders—was perceived as a maneuver to disavow and bring down the late prime minister, prompting his resignation and earning Moret both distrust within his party and disapproval remarks from the monarch himself.
Having been rejected by several high-profile Liberal members during the cabinet's formation, internal turmoil within his party—with resignation threats from the presidents of the Congress and Senate (José Canalejas and Eugenio Montero Ríos, respectively) and the tabling of a motion of no confidence in the Senate by members of his own group—forced Moret to preemptively resign on 3 December to avoid a major parliamentary defeat.
Formation Overview The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy during the Restoration period, awarding the monarch—under the royal prerogative—the power to appoint government members (including the prime minister); the ability to grant or deny the decree of dissolution of the , or the adjournment of legislative sessions, to the incumbent or aspiring government that requested it; and the capacity to inform, inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of royal decrees; among others..
The monarch would play a key role in the system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority. As a result, governments during this period were dependent on royal confidence, which was frequently secured or lost based on the leaders' ability to guarantee the internal unity and parliamentary cohesion of their parties.: "... according to the political practice of the Restoration, since voters did not determine majorities due to electoral manipulation, the requirement demanded of any leader to retain power was to guarantee the unity of the Party. []" In practice, the royal prerogative was not exercised freely by the monarch, but was carried out through the opening of a round of consultations—with the presidents of the chambers, the leaders of the main parties, the potential candidates and other notable figures—prior to government formation, or when prime ministers raised a matter of confidence to the monarch.
Cabinet crisis King Alfonso XIII held a round of consultations on 28 November 1906 to determine a solution to the political crisis arising from López Domínguez's resignation.
ConsultationsKing of Spain Date Consultee Office/position Party 28 November 1906 Eugenio Montero Ríos President of the SenatePrime Minister (former) Lib–Dem/Dem José Canalejas President of the Congress of Deputies Lib–Dem/Dem Marquis of Vega de Armijo President of the Congress of Deputies (former) Lib–Dem/Dem Segismundo Moret Prime Minister (former) Lib–Dem/Lib José López Domínguez Prime MinisterPresident of the Senate (former) Military Nominations Outcome → Sources
The outcome of the consultations led Alfonso XIII to entrust the formation of a new government to Segismundo Moret, who accepted the nomination.
Council of Ministers The Council of Ministers was structured into the office for the prime minister and eight ministries.
← Moret II Government →(30 November – 4 December 1906) Portfolio Name Party Took office Left office Prime Minister Segismundo Moret Lib–Dem/Lib 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of State Juan Pérez-Caballero Lib–Dem/Lib 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of Grace and Justice Antonio Barroso y Castillo Lib–Dem/Dem 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of War Agustín de Luque Military 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of the Navy Santiago Alba Lib–Dem/Lib 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of Finance Eleuterio Delgado Lib–Dem/Lib 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of Governance Benigno Quiroga Lib–Dem/Lib 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Pedro Rodríguez de la Borbolla Lib–Dem/Lib 30 November 1906 4 December 1906 Minister of Development Rafael Gasset Independent 30 November 1906 4 December 1906
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External links The governments of the second period of the Liberal Party (1905–1907) (under Alfonso XIII). Lluís Belenes i Rodríguez History Page (in Spanish).