Cantabria - Government and Administration

Government and Administration

The Autonomy Statute of Cantabria of December 30, 1981, established that Cantabria has in its institutions the desire to respect fundamental rights and public freedom, at the same time as consolidating and stimulating regional development through democratic channels. This document gathers all competences of the Autonomous Community that were transferred from the Government of Spain. It should be noted that, as in other Autonomous Communities, some competences were not transferred, for example Justice. The Statute also defines the symbols that should represent the region: The flag, the coat of arms and the anthem of Cantabria.

The Parliament of Cantabria is the principal self-government institution of the Autonomous Community, being the representative body of the Cantabrians. Presently it is constituted by thirty nine deputies elected by universal, equal, free, direct and secret suffrage.

The primary functions of the Parliament are: to exercise the legislative power, to approve the budgets of the Autonomous Community, to motivate and control the actions of the government, and to develop the rest of the competences that the Spanish Constitution, the Autonomy Statute and the rest of the legal order bestow on it.

The President of the Autonomous Community holds the highest representation of the Community and ordinary representation of the Country in Cantabria, and presides over the Government, coordinating its activities. He is elected by the Parliament among its thirteen members, after query to the politic groups represented in it, and he is appointed by the King. He must present his politic program to the full chamber, and be granted absolute majority in first session or simple in subsequent.

The Government of Cantabria is the body in charge of directing the political activities and exercising the executive and regulatory powers according to the Constitution, the Statute and the laws. The Government is made up of the President, the Vicepresident (in which the President can delegate his executive functions and representations) and the Councillors, who are appointed and ceased by the President.

After several legislatures presided by the Partido Popular or by Juan Hormaechea's UPCA, the Regional Government of Cantabria is directed by a coalition of the Regionalist Party of Cantabria and Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) from year 2003. The President is Miguel Ángel Revilla of Partido Regionalista de Cantabria (PRC), and the Vice President is Dolores Gorostiaga of PSOE.