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Council of the Realm

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Council of the Realm
Consejo del Reino
Formation1947 (1947)
Dissolved1978 (1978)
Legal statusConstitutional Body
HeadquartersMadrid
Francisco Franco
Juan Carlos I

The Council of the Realm (Spanish: Consejo del Reino) was a corporate organ of Francoist Spain, created by the Law of Succession to the Headship of the State of 1947. Within the institutional complex created to hierarchize the regime of Francisco Franco (the so-called "organic democracy"), was the high council that advised the Head of State in the decision making of its exclusive competence. An antecedent of the Council of the Realm is the institution of the same name that appears in the Draft Constitution of 1929 of the dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera.

Composition

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Permanent councilors:

Elective councilors, elected by vote by groups of procurators in the Cortes Españolas:

  • two councilors for the Local Administration Group.
  • two councilors for the National Councilors Group.
  • two councilors for the Family Representation Group.
  • two councilors for the Trade Union Organization Group.
  • one councilor for the University Rectors Group.
  • one councilor for the Professional Association Group.

The President of the Council of the Realm was the President of the Cortes Españolas, and was appointed by the Head of State from a list of three names presented by the Council of the Realm.

Functions

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The function of the Council of the Realm was to provide the Head of State with a list of three names to elect a President of the Government from among them. Likewise, the Head of State needed the Council of the Realm to dissolve or extend the legislatures of the Cortes Españolas, dismiss the President of the Government, as well as many other functions.

Presidents

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Trajectory

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During the life of Francisco Franco, the Council of the Realm was a pure formalism, because the only will was that of the Head of State.

With the accession of the King Juan Carlos I to the throne, the Council of the Realm facilitated the appointment of Adolfo Suárez as President of the Government, although also some councilors showed very reactionary positions to the Political Reform Act of 1977.

The democratic Cortes specified that this body would be dissolved after the promulgation of the Spanish Constitution of 1978.

References

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  1. ^ In substitution of Agustín Muñoz Grandes, who died on 11 July 1970. See Decree 2266/1970, of August 4, appointing Joaquín Bau Nolla as Vice President of the Council of the Kingdom (BOE No. 187 of 06/08/1970).
  2. ^ Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 310, BOE 06.09.70, available here.
  3. ^ Monserrat Cavaller 2001, p. 283, BOE 30.10.65, available here.