List of prime ministers of Spain
The prime minister of Spain is the head of government of Spain. There is no specific date as to when the office of prime minister first appeared as the role was not created, but rather evolved over a period of time through a merger of duties. Modern historians have not managed to agree who the first prime minister of Spain was, but Francisco Martínez de la Rosa was the first prime minister recognized by a constitutional law.
In contemporary Spain, the first prime minister of the Kingdom of Spain since the approval of the Constitution of 1978 was Adolfo Suárez. Due to the gradual evolution of the post, the title has been applied to early prime ministers retroactively. The following list therefore includes those who have been referred to as various other titles since the creation of the Council of Ministers in 1823.
Since the reign of Philip V, prime ministers have received several names, such as First Secretary of State, President of the Council of Ministers, President of the Executive Power or President of the Government, among others. Between 1938 and 1973, the post of President of the Government was personally linked to the person serving as Head of State.
Before 1823
There is no specific date when the office of prime minister first appeared as the role was not created, but rather evolved over a period of time through merger of duties. The government was led by a Valido, a favourite of the Monarch or the ruling Regent. Since 1621, there was also a Secretary of State of the Universal Bureau, but this seems to have been rather a subordinate position.Later, the reforms introduced by Phillip V in the 1710s established several secretaries of state for specific government areas, and the secretary of State for Foreign Affairs was eventually known as the First Secretary of State due to its de facto role as primer minister. This position was consolidated with the establishment of the Council of Ministers in 1823 which the First Secretary of State chaired over in the king's absence, and in 1834 the First Secretary of State became known as President of the Council of Ministers.
List of officeholders
Office title
- First Secretary of State
- President of the Council of Ministers
- President of the Provisional Government and of the Council of Ministers
- President of the Executive Power
- Head of the Government and President of the Military Directory
- President of the Provisional Government
- Head of State and President of the Government
- President of the Government