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127-515: Felipe González Márquez ( Spanish pronunciation: [feˈlipe ɣonˈθaleθ ˈmaɾkeθ] ; born 5 March 1942) is a retired Spanish politician who was Prime Minister of Spain from 1982 to 1996 and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. He is the longest-serving democratically-elected Prime Minister of Spain. González joined the PSOE in 1964 when it was banned under

254-561: A coalition agreement before their meeting with the Sovereign. Title IV of the Constitution defines the Government and its responsibilities. The Government consists of the prime minister and the ministers. The government conducts domestic and foreign policy , civil and military administration, and the defense of the nation all in the name of the monarch on behalf of the people. Additionally,

381-400: A comprehensive welfare state was established, while improvements were made to social programmes such as pensions and unemployment benefits. A 40-hour workweek was introduced, while entitlement to paid holidays was extended to up to 30 days per year. Pension funds were also established, together with provisions for social tourism. In addition, the school-leaving age was raised from 14 to 16, while

508-512: A failed motion of confidence, a motion of no confidence against the prime minister or the death of the prime minister. In the first three options, there is no succession, because the prime minister remains as caretaker prime minister until a new prime minister is elected by the Congress of Deputies. If the Prime Minister dies, the 1997 Government Act provides that the Prime Minister be succeeded by

635-573: A group called GAL was active as a gangster-style force targeting etarras (ETA members). Several innocent people were killed and the subsequent investigations ended with some police officers and the Minister of Internal Affairs, José Barrionuevo, condemned to jail. The Constitutional Court later ratified the sentence. Among successful operations were the capture of the ETA central arsenal and archives in Sokoa (France) and

762-431: A large majority in the Congress of Deputies, popularly known as "the roller" ( Spanish : el rodillo ), González's election was met with tremendous expectation of change amongst Spaniards. Under his government universal and free education provision was extended from age 14 to age 16, university education was reformed and expanded, the social security system was extended and a partial legalisation of abortion became law for

889-652: A major campaign promise of Chilean president Michelle Bachelet in 2013. After some years marshaling support and funding, the gratuidad law was passed in 2018, and as of 2019 covers tuition at participating schools for families in the bottom 60% of earnings nation-wide. Online education has become an option in recent years, particularly with the development of free MOOCs (massive open online courses) from providers such as Khan Academy (High School) and Higher Education, through providers such as edX , Coursera , Udacity , FutureLearn and Alison . Free education has become available through several websites with some resembling

1016-472: A mediator in the dialogue between Serbian government and the opposition, following the mass protests which have started over the alleged electoral fraud at the 1996 Serbian local elections . In 1997 he was considered a leading candidate to take over the position of President of the European Commission after Jacques Santer . The position ultimately went to Italy's Romano Prodi . In 1999 González

1143-497: A minority by adopting some aspects of the minor party platforms in an effort to attract them into parliamentary agreements to vote in the major party's favour, or at least abstain. The monarch's order nominating a prime ministerial candidate is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress, who then presents the nominee before the Congress of Deputies in a process known as a parliamentary investiture ( Investidura parlamentaria ). During

1270-514: A number of progressive measures which included access to universal education . In Sri Lanka, C. W. W. Kannangara introduced universal free education from kindergarten up to undergraduate degree, becoming the first country to implement free education on national scale. In the United States , Townsend Harris founded the first free public institution of higher education, the Free Academy of

1397-421: A position it maintained in 1979 . After the PSOE victory in the 1982 general election , González formed his first majority government , backed by 202 out of the 350 deputies at the Congress of Deputies, and led the government of Spain for thirteen and a half years after three additional victories in the 1986 , 1989 and 1993 general elections. In 1996, González lost the election to José María Aznar and

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1524-428: A prime minister resigns without advising the monarch to call for new elections, dies or becomes incapacitated while in office, then the government as a whole resigns and the process of royal nomination and appointment takes place. The deputy prime minister , or in the absence of such office, the first minister by precedence, would then take over the day-to-day operations in the meantime as acting-prime minister, even while

1651-476: A program akin to a school subsidy initiative, wherein qualifying students receive financial assistance that encompasses tuition fees and other associated expenses. In European Union countries such as France and Malta , tuition is usually free for European students, and in Germany , tuition is free for all European and international students. In Scotland , university tuition is free for all Scottish nationals and

1778-637: A report, by June 2010, on the challenges facing the European Union from 2020 to 2030, will also look at how to achieve a closer understanding between citizens and the Union. In December 2014, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos granted González Colombian nationality. From 2010 to 2015, González was appointed independent director in Gas Natural-Fenosa , one of the leading energy companies in Spain, being one of

1905-549: A series of follow-on meetings, which according to some reports, came quite close, but failed to result in a peace treaty. In the fight against terrorism, an intense police campaign secured several victories that left the terrorist organisation ETA severely debilitated. In his earlier years ETA killings totalled dozens per year (the 1987 Hipercor bombing attack in Barcelona alone killed more than 10 people), while in his latter years ETA killed far fewer. During his time as Prime Minister

2032-582: A significant reversal in Spain's relations with Israel, with González even becoming the first Spanish head of state to visit Israel in December 1991. He had also previously visited Israel in the 1970s under an assumed name. Spain and Israel would establish diplomatic relations on 17 January 1986. Due to his prestige, Spain also hosted the Madrid Conference of 1991 peace talks between Palestinians and Israelis; these were chaired by President George H. W. Bush of

2159-413: A very competitive entrance exam with high scores. Graduates from these universities are obliged to serve the country for as many years as they studied for their degree, in order to get their diploma. In Mauritius , the government provides free education to its citizens from pre-primary to tertiary levels. Since July 2005, the government also introduced free transport for all students. In New Zealand ,

2286-463: Is discounted for all European students, except from students coming from other parts of the United Kingdom . In Fiji the government announced in 2013 it would cover the costs of primary and secondary school education, equivalent to 250 Fiji dollars per year per student. In Iran , most prestigious universities are called governmental universities which offer free education for students who pass

2413-504: Is dismissed from office the day after the election, but remains in office as a caretaker until his/her successor is sworn in. Following the general election and other circumstances provided for in the Constitution, the sovereign meets with the leaders of the parties represented in the Congress of Deputies, and then consults with the Speaker of the Congress of Deputies ( Spanish : Presidente de Congreso de los Diputados ) as representative of

2540-704: Is free since 1949 in every state university, not only for Argentine students, but also for international students willing to study in Argentina. Free education is financed by the Ministry of Education. In Bangladesh, article 17 of Constitution of Bangladesh provides that all children receive free and compulsory education. Primary and secondary education is financed by the state and free of charge in public schools. The government provides free textbooks to all primary and secondary-level students. In 2022, 347,016,277 free textbooks have been distributed among 41,726,856 students across

2667-531: Is managed by the Funding and Grants Administration Division of the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training In the United States , a variety of financial aid programs provide grants and student loans , mostly to low-income students, for any accredited college or university. Various proposals at the state and federal level have been made to make either community colleges or all colleges and universities free for students at all income levels. In March 2022,

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2794-517: Is not granted, a second vote is scheduled forty-eight hours later in which a simple majority of votes cast (i.e., more "yes" than "no" votes) is required. Following the second vote, if confidence by the Congress is still not reached, then the monarch again meets with political leaders and the Speaker, and submits a new nominee for a vote of confidence (exceptionally, in 2016 King Felipe VI opted for not nominating more candidates and call for new elections ). If, within two months, no candidate has won

2921-435: Is seen as a royal endorsement of the democratic process—a fundamental concept enshrined in the 1978 Constitution. The largest party can end up not ruling if rival parties form a coalition —as happened in 2018 with the election of PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez . More commonly, if neither of the two major parties ( Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is able to command an absolute majority of the Congress by themselves, one will rule as

3048-637: Is tending bonsai trees. During his tenure at Moncloa , he received and cultivated several of them, mostly Mediterranean species, that he later donated to the Royal Botanic Garden of Madrid. His wife Mar García Vaquero is named in the Panama Papers scandal in 2016. Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain , officially president of the Government (Spanish: Presidente del Gobierno ),

3175-507: Is the head of government of Spain . The prime minister nominates the ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers . In this sense, the prime minister establishes the Government policies and coordinates the actions of the Cabinet members. As chief executive, the prime minister also advises the monarch on the exercise of their royal prerogatives . Although it is not possible to determine when

3302-503: Is the second authority of the Kingdom of Spain, outranking all other State authorities except members of the royal family . In 2023, the Prime Minister received a salary of €90,010 and additional €13,422 as member of parliament. With this salary, the prime minister is not the highest paid official of Spain, being surpassed by other State authorities such as the royal family (the King , €269,296;

3429-503: Is very close, though, to the PSOE official line, as she served as head of the public TV broadcaster Televisión Española after appointment to the post by one of Gonzalez's cabinets. González ended his fourth term on 4 May 1996. Since September 1996 he has headed the Madrid-based Global Progress Foundation (FPG). At the beginning of the 34th PSOE National Congress on 20 June 1997 he surprisingly resigned as leader of

3556-466: The 1982 general election held on 28 October 1982, the PSOE gained 48.3% of the vote and 202 deputies (out of 350). On 2 December González became President of the Government of Spain , with Alfonso Guerra as his deputy. He was the first socialist to hold the post since the Spanish Civil War , and his government was the first since then in which none of its members had served under Francoism. With

3683-642: The CIA declassified information confirming that Felipe González had authorised the creation of the GAL. Left with no other suitable candidate, the party was again led by González and in the 1996 general election held on 3 March 1996, they gained 37.4% of the vote and 141 deputies. They lost the election to the People's Party whose leader José María Aznar replaced González as prime minister ( presidente in Spanish, not to be confused with

3810-638: The Constitution of 1876 (article 54). With the fall of the First Republic and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty on King Alfonso XII , the office maintained its original name until the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera , when it was renamed to President of the Military Directory . In 1925, the original name was restored again. The Republican Constitution of 1931 provided for the prime minister and

3937-569: The Council of Ministers Royal Decrees granting the degrees of Collar and Grand Cross, and all titles of the different degrees of the Royal Order must bear his signature and the monarch's. The last people to join the order were King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and his consort, Queen Maxima , who were awarded the collar and grand cross of the order, respectively, in March 2024 on the occasion of

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4064-637: The Deputy Prime Minister and, if there is more than one, by the Deputy Prime Ministers, depending on their order. If there is no deputy prime minister, the Government Act establishes that the prime minister will be replaced by the ministers, according to the order of precedence of the Departments . This means that the first in the line of succession after the deputy prime ministers would be

4191-544: The European Economic Community (EEC) in 1986. González supported Spain remaining in NATO that same year in a referendum reversing his and the party's earlier anti-NATO position. On 29 October 1989, he won the 1989 general election with 39.6% of the vote and 175 seats, his third successive mandate. On 6 June 1993, González won the 1993 general election with 38.8% of the vote and 159 deputies. His fourth victory

4318-503: The Father of Free Education in Sri Lanka. Trinidad and Tobago offers free tertiary education to its citizens up to the undergraduate level at accredited public and select private institutions. Postgraduate degrees are paid up to 50% by the government at accredited institutions. This benefit is given to the citizens under a programme called Government Assisted Tuition Expenses Programme and it

4445-622: The Francoist regime . He obtained a law degree from the University of Seville in 1965. In 1974, the PSOE elected González as its Secretary-General after a split in its 26th Congress. He led the party through the Spanish transition to democracy , carrying it to a strong second-place finish in the 1977 general election , making the PSOE the main opposition to the ruling Union of the Democratic Centre ,

4572-535: The Minister of Foreign Affairs , followed by the Minister of Justice , the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance . These four ministers are the first and great offices created in 1714 by King Philip V . The Order of Charles III, officially the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III, was established in 1771 by King Charles III and is today the country's highest civil honor. The current regulation of

4699-525: The People's Party and was elected to the Congress of Deputies for the last time in the 2000 general election , from Seville . González was born in Bellavista, Seville , the son of a small dairy farmer. He has a sister called Lola González Márquez, married to Francisco Germán Palomino Romera, by whom she has two sons, Felipe and Germán Palomino González. He studied law at Seville University and started his career as attorney specialising in labor law. While at

4826-516: The Philippines , public primary and secondary schools are free of tuition. The 1935 Constitution provided for universal primary education . Primary education was made free under the 1973 Constitution, while the 1987 Constitution extended free education to the secondary level. Free public tertiary education has been enacted in 2017 . In Russia , prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union, tuition

4953-704: The Queen , €148,105; and the Queen Mother , €121,186), the president of the Congress of Deputies (€230,931), the president of the Constitutional Court (€167,169), the president of the Supreme Court (€151,186) and the president of the Court of Auditors (€130,772), among others. The prime minister is constitutionally protected against ordinary prosecution. Although the Prime Minister does not have legal immunity like

5080-520: The Renaissance , rich dignitaries commonly sponsored the education of young men as patrons. Thomas Jefferson proposed "establishing free schools to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic, and from these schools those of intellectual ability, regardless of background or economic status, would receive a college education paid for by the state." In the Soviet Union , Vladmir Lenin's government instituted

5207-527: The Second Spanish Republic ended. Before 1834 the figure was known as " Secretary of State " ( Secretario de Estado ), a denomination used today for junior ministers . Spain was not unique in this regard: it was one of several European parliamentary systems, including France , Italy and the Irish Free State , that styled the head of government as 'presidents' of the government rather than

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5334-451: The Title of Concession creating the dignity must be countersigned by a government minister. When a title is created for a former prime minister, the succeeding prime minister customarily countersigns the royal decree. Although prior to the reign of Alfonso XIII many noble titles were granted —or the rank of those who already possessed it one was raised— to prime ministers and ministers (such as

5461-467: The 17th century as "principal minister or prime minister of Spain" ) although they can not be completely compared. On 19 November 1823, after a brief liberal democratic period called the Liberal Triennium between 1820 and 1823, King Ferdinand VII re-established the absolute monarchy and created the Council of Ministers that continues to exist today. This council, when not chaired by the monarch,

5588-405: The 1920s. It is the oldest of CUNY's 25 institutions of higher learning [5] and is considered its flagship. Other primacies at City College that helped shape the culture of American higher education include the first student government in the nation (Academic Senate, 1867);[9] the first national fraternity to accept members without regard to religion, race, color or creed (Delta Sigma Phi, 1899);[10]

5715-405: The 402nd Air Force Squadron (helicopters). The Parliament, and thus, the Government, sit for a term no longer than four years. Before that date, the prime minister may offer his resignation to the sovereign. If the Prime Minister does so while advising the monarch to dissolve parliament, the sovereign will call for a snap election , but no sooner than a year after the prior general election. If

5842-668: The Americas Award by the Inter-American Dialogue for his tireless, effective, and ongoing public service and commitment to democracy in Latin America. González married María del Carmen Julia Romero y López in Seville on 16 July 1969 and has three children: Pablo González Romero, David González Romero and María González Romero (lawyer). He divorced Carmen Romero in 2008. In 2012 he married Mar García Vaquero. One of his hobbies

5969-563: The City of New York (today the City College of New York ), in 1847; it aimed to provide free education to the urban poor, immigrants and their children. Its graduates went on to receive 10 Nobel Prizes, more than any other public university. During the late 19th century, the United States government introduced compulsory education as free or universal education, which extended across the country by

6096-465: The Congress for a vote of confidence . In constitutional matters, the primacy of the prime minister over the ministers is also evident, since the prime ministers alone is responsible for the government initiative to challenge the constitutionality of a law . The Office of the Prime Minister ( Spanish : Presidencia del Gobierno , lit.   ' Presidency of the Government ' ) is the combination of government departments and services that are at

6223-513: The Congress' right to withdraw confidence from the government, the Cortes Generales has two ways of forcing the prime minister's resignation: passing a motion of no confidence or rejecting a motion of confidence. In the first case, and following the German model, a prime minister can only be removed by a constructive vote of no confidence . While the Congress can censure the government at any time,

6350-417: The Constitution vests the monarch as the "arbitrator and moderator of the institutions" of government, [The King] arbitrates and moderates the regular functioning of the institutions ( arbitra y modera el funcionamiento regular de las instituciones ). This provision could be understood as allowing the monarch or his government ministers to exercise emergency authority in times of national crisis, such as when

6477-610: The Dukedom of Prim —granted to the daughter of late prime minister Juan Prim — or the Dukedom of Castillejos —awarded to the other son of the aforementioned prime minister—), it was not until this historical period when it became customary, since King Alfonso XIII granted a total of sixteen of these dignities to former prime ministers or their relatives during his reign. Of these, four were dukedoms (granted to relatives of assassinated prime ministers), three were marquessates and two counties, as well as seven grandships were granted. Likewise,

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6604-515: The English use of the term) on 4 or 5 May 1996. The Gonzalez government left behind a deep impact on the Spanish real economy, such as the expansion of the networks of highways and airports and the creation of new infrastructures, including high-speed rail in Spain . Gonzalez-led cabinets were the first to implement a national, comprehensive infrastructure program that included not only public works but theatres, museums, and secondary schools. In addition,

6731-551: The Executive Power and was also head of state . In 1874, the office name reverted to President of the Council of Ministers . Since its inception, the prime minister has been appointed and dismissed by the will of the monarch. Successive constitutions have confirmed this royal prerogative of the monarch in the Constitution of 1837 (article 47), article 46 of the Constitution of 1845 , the Constitution of 1869 (article 68), and

6858-566: The Government" ( Spanish : Presidente del Gobierno ). Not only is this term confusing for English speakers because Spain is not a republic, but because the parliamentary speakers are also referred to as presidents of their respective chambers. For example, both President George W. Bush and his brother, Florida governor Jeb Bush , referred to José María Aznar as "president" on separate occasions, and Donald Trump referred to Mariano Rajoy both as "President" and "Mr. President" during Rajoy's 2017 White House visit. While this term of address

6985-523: The Labour government will introduce three years of free post-school study or training. From January 1, 2018, new students will have one year free for entering study or training. From 2021, those starting tertiary education would get two years free, and from 2024 three years. The overall cost of the package is $ 6 billion. Labour has also pledged to increase student allowances by $ 50 a week, and to restore post-graduate students' eligibility for student allowances. In

7112-667: The Ministry of the Presidency. The Cabinet Office, through the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Government, is responsible for the protocol and security affairs. Within the General Secretariat, there is a Department of Security of the Presidency of the Government (DSPG) that coordinates the efforts of the National Police Corps and the Civil Guard in the protection of the Prime Minister and his family, as well as

7239-697: The State visit of the Spanish monarchs to the Netherlands. Upon retirement, it is customary for the monarch to grant a prime minister some honour or dignity. The honour bestowed is commonly the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic , the second highest civil honor, while the ministers receive the Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (the highest civil distinction). This is because

7366-412: The U.S. state of New Mexico waived tuition for in-state students at all income levels and at all public state and tribal colleges and universities, if registered for six credit-hours and earning a minimum 2.5 GPA. Uruguay adopted free, compulsory, and secular education in 1876, after a reform led by José Pedro Varela during the Lorenzo Latorre dictatorship. The University of the Republic follows

7493-401: The United States and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev . The bilateral Israeli–Palestinian negotiations eventually led to the exchange of letters and the subsequent signing of the Oslo I Accord , on the lawn of the White House on 13 September 1993. The negotiations that emanated from the Madrid conference, led to the Israel–Jordan peace treaty in 1994. The Israeli–Syrian negotiations included

7620-400: The Westminster term of 'prime minister' (see President of the Council for the full list of corresponding terms). However the term ' president ' is far older. Since the 15th century, the Spanish monarchs has delegated its executive powers in relevant personalities. Two are the most important: the validos and the secretaries of state . The validos , which existed since early 15th century to

7747-412: The act in question. In these sense, the Constitution grants the prime minister the initiative to request the monarch for calling a referendum , for calling for new elections or for dissolving any of the legislative chambers. In Spain, the government ministers cannot force the prime minister resignation and this idea is reinforced when the Constitution grants the prime minister the sole initiative to request

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7874-412: The aftermath Sánchez announced talks with Podemos and Catalan separatist parties. González then supported Susana Diaz faction in a bitter internal struggle which ended with PSOE facilitating the investiture of the conservative government and the dismissal of Pedro Sánchez. In 2015 González traveled to Venezuela to support Leopoldo López and other imprisoned opposition leaders. His involvement came at

8001-402: The best known high-profile cases of revolving doors in Spanish politics. Since 2015 he has taken an active role in criticising the emerging party Podemos , which he considers a populist threat, and have actively lobbied the PSOE against approaching Podemos for any possible government coalition. González supported PSOE candidate Pedro Sánchez in the 2015 and 2016 general elections , but in

8128-414: The bicentenary celebrations in commemoration of the independence of Latin America. The celebrations will begin in September 2010 in Mexico. At a summit held in Brussels on 14 December 2007, heads of state and government of European Union member states appointed González chairman of a think tank on the future of Europe. The group, consisting of up to nine prestigious personalities commissioned to drawing up

8255-608: The capture of the organisation's ruling body in 1992. However, in the final years of his mandate several cases of corruption, the most notable of which were the scandals involving Civil Guard Director Luis Roldán , further eroded popular support for the PSOE. Nonetheless González and most of his ministers generally managed to leave office with their reputations intact, although they had performed poor oversight of some lower ranking public servants, according to María Antonia Iglesias ( La memoria recuperada. Lo que nunca han contado Felipe González y los dirigentes socialistas , 2003); Iglesias

8382-454: The censure motion must also include the name of a prospective replacement for the incumbent prime minister. If the censure motion is successful, the replacement candidate is automatically deemed to have the confidence of the Congress, and the monarch is required to appoint them as the new prime minister. As of 2023, only Pedro Sánchez managed to remove a sitting prime minister with a vote of no confidence in 2018 , making him prime minister. In

8509-412: The confidence of the Congress then the monarch dissolves the Cortes and calls for a new general election. The monarch's royal decree is countersigned by the Speaker of the Congress. After the nominee is confirmed, the Speaker of the Congress formally reports the fact to the sovereign. The monarch then appoints the candidate as the new prime minister and this too is countersigned by the Speaker. During

8636-415: The country. The government provides free school meals to 400,000 children in 2,000 schools across 8 Divisions. In Brazil , free education is offered by the Ministry of Education, which offers scholarships for graduate degrees, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral for Brazilians and immigrants with a Brazilian citizenship. The best universities and research centers are public institutions, financed by either

8763-698: The courses of study of accredited universities. Online education faces barriers such as institutional adoption, license or copyright restrictions, incompatibility and educator awareness of available resources. Due to the extensive requirements of resources for online education, many open community projects have been initiated. Specifically, the Wikimedia Foundation has developed a project devoted to free online educational resources, Wikiversity , and recently, several other sites for specific topics have developed. Christian Leaders Institute offers tuition free college level ministry education. Students can take any classes free of charge, but are encouraged to help support

8890-400: The death of those of his generation. In the first democratic general election after Franco's death, held in 1977, the PSOE became the second most-voted for party, and this served González to appear as a young, active and promising leader. However, he did not win the 1979 election and had to wait for 1982 and the dissolution of the Union of the Democratic Centre party to come into office. In

9017-407: The deputy prime minister themselves may be nominated by the monarch and stand for a vote of confidence. Also, if at the conclusion of the four years, the prime minister has not asked for its dissolution, according to Title II Section 56, the monarch must dissolve the Parliament and call for a new general election. Although the prime minister's position is strengthened by constitutional limits on

9144-475: The duties of the office of Prime Minister with loyalty to the King, obey and enforce the Constitution as the main law of the State, and preserve in secret the deliberations of the Council of Ministers . Once appointed, the prime minister forms his government whose ministers are appointed and removed by the monarch on the prime minister's advice. In the political life of Spain, the monarch would already be familiar with

9271-597: The early 21st century, provided free education to foreign students but changes have been introduced to charge fees to foreign students from outside the European community . Denmark also has universal free education, and provides a monthly stipend, the "Statens Uddannelsesstøtte" or "SU", to students over 18 years of age or students who are under 18 and attending a higher education . Bachelor and master's degree programmes in Denmark are offered in either Danish or English depending on

9398-577: The early Nineties and to be available to all citizens, rather than only to those with social security. The pension system was extended to needy people, universal public schooling was expanded from all children under the age of 16, and new universities were established. Healthcare was reformed, with Gonzalez creating the National Health Service and accelerating the development of primary care medicine based on health centres, where integral primary care for adults, pregnant women and paediatric patients

9525-474: The economic reforms of the previous decade initiated a lasting period of economic growth) and with accusations of corruption and state terrorism scandals, including allegations of waging a dirty war against the terrorist group ETA by means of the GAL . There was speculation in the press about Javier Solana as a possible replacement, but Solana was appointed Secretary General of NATO in December 1995. In June 2020,

9652-594: The first degree-granting evening program (School of Education, 1907). City College of New York . In 1944, U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Serviceman's Readjustment Act, also known as the GI Bill of Rights , into law. The GI Bill allowed World War II veterans to attend universities at no cost to them. A report regarding free higher education was prepared by President Truman in 1947, however, no action

9779-467: The first time, despite opposition from the Roman Catholic Church. González pushed for reforms and a restructuring of the economy. On 23 February 1983, the Government passed a law nationalising the company Rumasa , a private business that included merchant banking interests, on the grounds that it was at the point of bankruptcy and the government needed to protect the savings of depositors and

9906-589: The form of publicly funded institutions like state universities. In France, philosopher Michel Onfray created the first non-governmental free education university since antiquity , in 2002, with his Université populaire de Caen in Normandy . His decision was triggered by the accession of far-right party Front National to the second round of the 2002 French presidential elections . Onfray stated that people need more political, historical and philosophical background education to be more conscious citizens. His university

10033-465: The government exercises executive authority and statutory regulations. The main collective decision-making body of the Government is the Council of Ministers , chaired by the prime minister and, after a formal request by the Prime Minister, by the monarch . There is no provision in the Spanish Constitution for explicitly granting any emergency powers to the government. However, Section 56 of

10160-542: The government ministers since, at least, the 18th century, and in the case of the prime minister, this treatment is reinforced as member of the Order of Charles III , whose article 13 states that "the Knights and the Dames of the Collar, as well as the Knights and Dames Grand Cross, will receive the treatment of Most Excellent Lord and Most Excellent Lady". The Spanish Constitution foresee the office of deputy prime minister and also

10287-612: The infraestructure and personnel of the Moncloa Government Complex . The vehicles used by the Prime Minister are provided by the State Vehicle Fleet (PME), an autonomous agency of the Ministry of Finance that provides the government with all type of vehicles and well-trained drivers. The air transportation of the Prime Minister and other government officials is mainly provided by the 45th Air Force Group (planes) and

10414-406: The investiture proceedings, the candidate describes their political agenda in an Investiture Speech to be debated and submitted for a vote of confidence ( Cuestión de confianza ) by the Congress, effecting an indirect election of the head of government. Confidence is awarded if the candidate receives a majority of votes in the first poll (currently 176 out of 350 MPs), but if the confidence

10541-457: The jobs of its 60,000 employees, a decision that aroused considerable criticism and a judicial conflict over the law that was only resolved, in favour of the government, in December 1986. In the 1986 general election held on 22 June 1986, the PSOE gained 44.1% of the vote and 184 deputies in Parliament. González was elected prime minister for the second time. During this second term, Spain joined

10668-504: The late 17th century were people of the highest confidence of the monarchs and they exercised the Crown's power in the monarch's name. Since the 18th century, the validos disappeared and the secretaries of state were introduced. Both positions were de facto prime ministers (as demonstrated by the fact that since the tenure of the count-duke of Olivares , valido of Felipe IV , the validos were often called by courtiers and authors already in

10795-461: The local state (state universities) or the federal government (federal universities). Graduate students can get paid if they qualify for the incentive, but competition usually are extremely fierce. There are examples of steps towards free education being taken across the world primarily in those nations developing rapidly, such as China . The Free Compulsory Education Reform in China can be described as

10922-621: The mission of the institution by making donations to this 501 (c)3 United States Charity. The Islamic Open University (IOU) , a distance-learning higher education institution, offers tuition-free graduate and undergraduate degrees. A very modest registration fee is charged per semester, which is based on the human development index and thus varies from country to country. The IOU is offering one million scholarships for African youths by 2020. Nidahas Vidyalaya has started an initiative named Freedom College towards providing tuition-free education in Sri Lanka. Free education does not only take

11049-512: The monarch also rewarded with numerous golden fleeces . King Juan Carlos I wanted to restore this tradition and, therefore, as a reward for their service, the last noble titles granted (both with grandship) were those of Adolfo Suárez (to whom the golden fleece was also awarded in 2007 ), who was created Duke of Suárez in 1981 and Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo , created Marquess of the Ría de Ribadeo  [ es ] in 2002, twenty years after holding

11176-452: The monarch used his authority to back the government of the day and call for the military to abandon the 23-F coup attempt in 1981. The prime minister also assumes political responsibility for most acts of the sovereign. While the monarch is vested with executive power, his acts are not valid unless countersigned by a minister. Under Article 64 of the Constitution, that minister—usually the prime minister—assumes political responsibility for

11303-718: The monarch, the prime minister, as well as the members of the Royal Family, the Government, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, can only be criminally responsible before the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court ( Spanish Constitution, Part IV § 102 ). Although it is not formally regulated, Spanish custom establishes that the prime minister receives the treatment of The Most Excellent ( Spanish : Excelentísimo Señor, f. Excelentísima Señora ). This treatment has been customary for

11430-437: The most—along with Adolfo Suárez —just behind fellow socialist Felipe González , prime minister from 1982 to 1996. King Felipe VI re-appointed Sánchez for the third time on 17 November 2023 after he reached a coalition agreement with Sumar and gathered the support of other minor parties. His third government took office on 21 November 2023. The Spanish head of government has been known, since 1939, as "President of

11557-453: The number of educational grants was multiplied by eight. Unemployment protection was expanded and a national education system for children under the age of six was established. Cash benefits in social housing, universal healthcare and education were introduced, along with earnings-based benefits for widowhood, sickness, disability and retirement. A Ministry of Social Affairs was also set up, allowing for social services to be decentralised in

11684-455: The oath of office next to religious symbols: Pedro Sánchez , along with most of his Cabinet members. His predecessor, Mariano Rajoy , a Catholic, put his right hand on the Constitution and, at the same time, his left hand on the Bible. As per tradition, if the members of the government choose not to take the oath along with any religious symbols, they use the word "prometo" ("I promise"), whereas if

11811-485: The office acquired the current name, President of the Government, but between that date and 1973 the office was held by Francisco Franco as dictator of Spain. In 1973, Francisco Franco separated the head of state from the head of government, and that division still exists today, with the prime minister democratically elected by the Parliament which is itself elected by universal suffrage, free and equal. Adolfo Suárez

11938-512: The office. The last prime minister to be offered a noble title was Felipe González , who rejected the offer. Since then, neither King Juan Carlos I nor King Felipe VI have offered prime ministers such an honor. Free education At the University of Oslo , there is no tuition fee except a small semester fee of NOK(600) (US$ 74). From 2013 in Northern Europe , Estonia started providing free higher education as well. Sweden , until

12065-627: The order, established in October 2002, states that the prime minister is the Grand Chancellor of the Order (second to the Grand Master, the Monarch ). Upon taking office, the new prime minister shall be invested with the degree of Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order and with this rank he will act as Grand Chancellor of the same. It is responsibility of the Grand Chancellor to submit to the approval of

12192-515: The party. He also resigned from the federal executive committee, though retaining his seat in the Congress. With no clear successor he continued to exert an enormous influence over the party. He was only replaced at the 35th party Congress in July 2000 when José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero became the leader. In 1996, González was the head of the OSCE delegation which was sent to Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as

12319-455: The position actually originated, the office of prime minister has evolved throughout history to what it is today. The role of prime minister (then called Secretary of State) as president of the Council of Ministers, first appears in a royal decree of 1824 by King Ferdinand VII . The current office was established during the reign of Juan Carlos I , in the 1978 Constitution , which describes the prime minister's constitutional role and powers, how

12446-714: The position changed names frequently. After the Glorious Revolution of 1868 , it was renamed President of the Provisional Revolutionary Joint and later President of the Provisional Government . In 1869, the office resumed the name of President of the Council of Ministers . Following the abdication of King Amadeus I , during the First Republic (1873–1874) the office was known as the President of

12573-762: The possibility of having more than one deputy prime minister. Although the position of deputy prime minister has existed intermittently since 1840, the Constitution endorses what was established in the Organic Act of the State of 1967, which provided for the first time the possibility of appointing more than one deputy and, in 1974, this provision became effective when Prime Minister Carlos Arias Navarro appointed three deputies ( José García Hernández , Antonio Barrera de Irimo and Licinio de la Fuente ). Since then, three more prime ministers ( Adolfo Suárez , José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Pedro Sánchez ) have had more than one deputy. The second government of Pedro Sánchez holds

12700-513: The prime minister accedes to, and is removed from office, and the relationship between the prime minister and Parliament. Upon a vacancy, the monarch nominates a candidate for a vote of confidence by the Congress of Deputies , the lower house of the Cortes Generales . The process is a parliamentary investiture by which the head of government is elected by the Congress of Deputies. In practice,

12827-517: The prime minister is almost always the leader of the largest party in the Congress, although not necessarily. The prime minister's official residence and office is Moncloa Palace in Madrid. Pedro Sánchez , of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), has been prime minister since 2 June 2018. He first came to power after a successful motion of no confidence against former prime minister Mariano Rajoy . Since then, Sánchez has led three governments,

12954-401: The prime minister is, since he is appointed as such by the sovereign, a Knight or Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III, for which he is awarded the next highest distinction. In addition to these honors, the monarch might offer the former prime minister a peerage , being the highest marks of distinction that he may bestow in his capacity as the fons honorum in Spain. Conventionally,

13081-582: The programme or university. Argentina , Brazil , Cuba , Poland , Czech Republic , Greece , Hungary , Lebanon , Saudi Arabia , Turkey , Sri Lanka and Uruguay provide free education at all levels, including college and university for citizens. State universities in the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway, Saudi Arabia and Sweden do not charge international students with tuition fees for Ph.D. degrees and in some cases for bachelor's and master's degrees as well. In Argentina, education

13208-408: The record for most deputies, appointing four. This large number of deputy prime ministerships was interpreted as a maneuver to reduce the political weight of his second deputy prime minister and leader of the minority party in the coalition, Pablo Iglesias Turrión . According to article 101 of the Spanish Constitution, the prime minister and its government only ceases in the cases of resignation,

13335-567: The rest of the government to be appointed and dismissed by the President of the Republic but they were responsible before the Parliament and the Parliament could vote to dismiss the prime minister or a minister even against the will of the president of the republic. In the Civil War , the head of government among the Nationalists was called Chief of the Government of the State and since January 1938

13462-493: The same at subsidized rates. At the university level, the universities provide undergraduate courses free, however, this totals only about 10% for those qualified for university entrance. Grants and scholarships are provided for a limited number of study allowances. Dr. C. W. W. Kannangara who was the Minister of Education made education free for all Sri Lankan students in 1940 s. Kannangara's significant achievements in areas of education have led him to being commonly referred to as

13589-401: The same principles, although graduates must pay a yearly contribution. In Tanzania , a fee free education was introduced for all the government schools in 2014. Government would pay the fees, however parents were required to pay for the school uniform and other materials. In Mali , free education implementation is a relatively recent phenomenon. Prior to the turn of the century, education

13716-572: The same time mainstream media and political parties were accusing emerging Podemos of having links with the Venezuelan government. González is a member of the Club of Madrid , an independent non-profit organisation composed of 81 democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers from 57 different countries. In 2015, González was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for Public Service in

13843-419: The second case, the prime minister, after deliberation by the Council of Ministers , can propose a vote of confidence regarding the government's policies in Congress. If Congress does not give the prime minister its confidence, the prime minister must resign. As of 2023, only prime minister Adolfo Suárez in 1980 and Felipe González in 1990 proposed a vote of confidence, both successfully. The Prime Minister

13970-500: The service of the Prime Minister to fulfill its constitutional duties. It was established around 1834 when officials and budget began to be assigned to the personal Secretariat of the Prime Minister. Today, it acts as a ministerial department , although it is not formally one of them, and approximately 2,000 people work there. The Prime Minister's Office principal departments are: The autonomous agency Patrimonio Nacional , which manages Crown properties, depends on this Office through

14097-400: The start of many free internet-based learning institutions such as edX (founded in 2012) and MITx (announced in 2011), anyone in the world with Internet access can take free education-courses. In many countries, the policy for the merit system has not yet caught up with these recent advances in education technology. After the 2011–13 Chilean student protests , tuition-free college was

14224-529: The swearing-in ceremony presided over by the monarch, customarily at the Audience Hall of the Royal Palace of Zarzuela , the prime minister–designate takes an oath of office over an open Constitution and—at choice since 2014 —next to a Bible and a crucifix . The prime minister must take the oath or affirmation placing the right hand on the Constitution. Currently, only one prime minister has refused to take

14351-528: The take the oath with the Bible, they use the word "juro" ("I swear"). The oath as taken by Prime Minister Zapatero on his first term in office on 17 April 2004 was: Juro/Prometo, por mi conciencia y honor, cumplir fielmente las obligaciones del cargo de Presidente del Gobierno con lealtad al Rey, guardar y hacer guardar la Constitución como norma fundamental del Estado, así como mantener el secreto de las deliberaciones del Consejo de Ministros. I swear/promise, under my conscience and honor, to faithfully execute

14478-542: The time of Franco's death, González had become the most prominent figure among the left-wing of the democratic opposition to the regime, and played a critical role, along with then serving Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez , in the Spanish transition to democracy . During the Suárez government, General and Deputy Prime Minister Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado asked González not to raise the debate of the Civil War and Francoist repression until

14605-572: The university he met members of the clandestine socialist trade union Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). He also contacted members of the PSOE and started taking part in the party's clandestine activity, necessary under the dictatorship of Franco. During that time he adopted the alias Isidoro and moved to Madrid. He was elected Secretary General of the Party at the Suresnes Congress, in France. By

14732-446: The various political leaders in a professional capacity, and perhaps less formally in a more social capacity, facilitating their meeting following a general election. Conversely, nominating the party leader whose party maintains a plurality and who are already familiar with their party manifesto facilitates a smoother nomination process. In the event of coalitions , the political leaders would customarily have met beforehand to hammer out

14859-483: The whole of parliament), before nominating a candidate for the prime ministership. This process is spelled out in Section 99 of the Constitution. By political custom established by Juan Carlos I since the ratification of the 1978 Constitution, the sovereign's nominees have usually been from parties who have a plurality of seats in the Congress (i.e. the largest party). Although there is no legal requirement for this, it

14986-450: Was a supporter of Kohl's drive for a united Germany, counteracting British and French hostility. He also started diplomatic relations with Israel , which had never been established by Franco because of antisemitism . Franco's successor Adolfo Suárez also refused to recognize Israel, while González' predecessor Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo would also fail to establish relations with Israel. Gonzalez's time as Prime Minister of Spain also marked

15113-456: Was chaired by the secretary of state for foreign affairs ( Spanish : Secretario de Estado y del Despacho de Estado ), who acted as prime minister. This role was ratified by the Royal Statute of 1834 , which constitutionalized for the first time the figure of the prime minister under the name of "President of the Council of Ministers", invested with executive powers. During the 19th century,

15240-629: Was free for everyone obtaining sufficient grades. Since 1991, students obtaining sufficient grades, are still eligible for a free education (on a competitive basis) in state or private universities, but the student can also pay for studying if grades are above minimal threshold, but not enough to be enrolled into the desired university for free. In Sri Lanka , free education is provided by the government at different levels. Government funded schools such as national schools , provincial schools and Piriven provided primary and secondary education free, while assisted schools and semi-governmental schools provided

15367-443: Was marred by the fact he was forced to form a pact with nationalist political parties from Catalonia and Basque country in order to form a new government. Towards the end of 1995 there was a debate about whether González should lead the PSOE in the forthcoming general elections. The People's Party intensified its campaign to associate his period in office with a poor economic situation (although unemployment had begun to decline and

15494-521: Was not incorrect, it could be misleading to English speakers so prime minister is commonly used as a culturally equivalent term to ensure clarity. Use of the term "president" dates back to 1834 and the regency of Maria Christina when, styled after the head of government of the French July Monarchy (1830), the official title was the "President of the Council of Ministers" ( Presidente del Consejo de Ministros ). This remained until 1939, when

15621-487: Was often too expensive for many families, leading to a high rate of illiteracy and educational inequity. The 1990s saw the beginning of reforms with several NGOs and international bodies lobbying and offering support for free and inclusive education. In the Islamic Golden Age a tradition of free madrasa -based education arose. Free education has long been identified with "sponsored education"; for example, during

15748-606: Was provided. Gonzalez presided over an increase of youth and women's participation in government. State run Televisión Española reached a high level of quality under the direction of Pilar Miró. Private television channels were also permitted in 1990, ending the state monopoly. Felipe González also secured Spain's entry into the EEC, which the country joined in 1986, and consolidated democratic government. Together with François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl , he revitalized efforts to push for European integration and extension of state power. He

15875-521: Was put in charge of the party's Global Progress Commission in response to globalisation . The commission's report formed the basis of the closing declaration of the 21st Socialist International Congress on 8–9 November 1999. He stood down as a deputy in the Spanish Parliament in March 2004. On 27 July 2007 the Spanish Government appointed him plenipotentiary and extraordinary ambassador for

16002-445: Was taken, according to what was written in the report. Therefore, it never became a reality. One possible reason could be the ongoing Cold War at that time, which made President Truman shift his focus from the report to the war-defense spending. Governments typically fund compulsory education through taxes. Aggravated truancy can be prosecuted. Homeschooling , private or parochial schooling usually offer legal alternatives. With

16129-423: Was the first democratically elected prime minister of the post-Franco government. He was originally appointed by King Juan Carlos I on 3 July 1976, and he was confirmed in the office by popular vote after the 1977 Spanish general election . Once a general election has been called by the monarch , political parties designate their candidates to stand for prime minister—usually the party leader. A prime minister

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