Congress of Deputies, Spain
- Editorial Team | WIAN
- Apr 3
- 1 min read
Updated: May 1
/ ˈkɒŋ.ɡres əv ˈdep.jʊ.tiːz / institution /
RE: DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE, INSTITUTIONS, LEGISLATURE, SPAIN
The Congress of Deputies (Spanish: Congreso de los Diputados) is the lower house of Spain’s national Parliament, called the Cortes Generales. It is the main place where national laws are discussed and decided, where the government is held to account, and where the country’s budget is approved. The Congress also chooses the Prime Minister.
There are 350 members (called deputies) in the Congress. They are elected every four years through proportional representation – a voting system where parties win seats based on the percentage of votes they receive. For example, if a party wins 20% of the vote, it gets about 20% of the seats.
The Congress has more power than Spain’s Senate (the upper house). It can approve laws, make changes to national policy, and overrule most Senate decisions. Based in Madrid, the Congress of Deputies is a key part of Spain’s democracy and represents many different political views from across the country.
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