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[[/folder]]
[[folder:Como ser ''hincha'']]
Right... ¿where do we start?
!! Real Madrid
--> '''Founded:''' 1902
--> '''Home ground:''' Bernabéu
--> '''Nickname:''' Los merengues, Los blancos
The most popular club in Spain, and is often considered the main football symbol of Spain as a unified nation (ironically, it was founded by Catalans), though this is largely a legacy of [[UsefulNotes/FranciscoFranco Franco]] using the club as a symbol of the power of Spain as TorosYFlamenco land - a Real victory was his personal fascist victory during much of the 20th century, and it was often speculated by rival clubs that Franco fixed their matches.[[note]]Most historians suggest Franco didn't actually support a team, and just associated himself with Real as a political move.[[/note]]
Often seen as the club of the rich, compared especially with Atlético, who were the working classes' assembly: it used to be common to see high-ranking politicians in the boxes at the Bernabéu, especially if Franco liked them. Nowadays, they're the most successful club in the Champions League and Club World Cup.
!! FC Barcelona
--> '''Founded:''' 1899
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys[[note]]Usually the Camp Nou, but they've moved out while it's renovated[[/note]]
--> '''Nickname:''' Barça, Blaugranes
The team of Barcelona, known for its derby with Real and for being the main team of Catalan nationalism. When Franco tried to repress all regional identities, many Catalans in opposition to Franco saw Barcelona as a community of like-minded people, pretty much safety in numbers. Their local rivals are RCD Espanyol - in the early 20th century they were the club of anti-regionalism. Won fourteen trophies in just four years under Pep Guardiola in the early 2010s, but have been in footballing and financial difficulties since.
Their fans are called ''culés'' (''culer'' for the singular). This rather unflattering nickname comes from when they used to use the old ground at Les Corts; as it was a small stadium fans had to sit on fences and railings showing the rest of the fans their behinds.[[note]]''cul'' is Catalan for the posterior.[[/note]]
!! Atlético Madrid
--> '''Founded:''' 1903
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio Metropolitano
--> '''Nickname:''' Colchoneros,[[note]]the mattress-makers[[/note]]
The team of the working classes in Madrid, versus Real who were seen as the club of the super-rich Franco supporters. Originally an offshoot of Athletic Bilbao (who you'll read about later), they went their separate ways at the end of the 1900s.
Often linked to the political left, they're often thought of as the [[ButtMonkey unsuccessful team]] of Spanish football, behind Real and Barcelona. It's often said that being a Real fan is easy, but being an Atlético supporter takes guts (and a lot of schtick from Real ''hinchas'').
!! Athletic Bilbao
--> '''Founded:''' 1898
--> '''Home ground:''' Katedrala/San Mamés
--> '''Nickname:''' Lehoiak, Zuri-gorriak
Kaixo! This is the team of the ''askatasuna''-friendly Basque community. The fourth most-successful club in the league, this is the most successful Spanish[[note]]ahem[[/note]] club which isn't owned by a corporation: it's owned by supporters. Its main rivals are Real Sociedad, due to a local derby between the cities of Bilbao and Donostia[[note]]San Sebastián in Spanish[[/note]]; and Real Madrid, for obvious reasons.
Notable for its unwritten rule of only signing Basque players - and by extension their brilliant youth academy. Real Sociedad had the same but broke it in the late 1980s. They also held out for a long time in not having sponsors on their shirts, whereas other clubs will have about as many as an F1 driver. Even now, the club has only ever had Basque sponsors. It gains them both admirers and critics, but you've got to hand it to Athletic[[note]]The name is in English as the growth of football in the Basque Country had a lot to do with English trade[[/note]] for sticking to their principles.
!! Sevilla
--> '''Founded:''' 1890
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
--> '''Nickname:''' Palanganas
The most successful team in the south of Spain, with the highest Europa League/[[ArtifactTitle UEFA Cup]] wins of any team in Europe. Formed by a Scotsman in 1890, they were seen as the club of the elite for years until a financial crisis in the 1970s. Notable for bringing Unai Emery up, and their player [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Biri Biri]], who was a hit with fans and [[MoodWhiplash gave his name to the club's hooligan group]].
!! Real Betis
--> '''Founded:''' 1907
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio Benito Villamarín
--> '''Nickname:''' Los verdiblancos
The other team of the lower classes in Seville. They're much less successful than Sevilla, winning the Copa del Rey only three times, but being the perennial ButtMonkey of the Spanish league has made their fans known for SelfDeprecation and a general quick wit, with the slogan "¡Viva el Betis manque pierda!"[[note]]Long live Betis even though they lose![[/note]]
Also notable for using the word ''balompié'', a more literal translation for "football", for the first few decades.
!! RCD Espanyol
--> '''Founded:''' 1900
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio RCDE
--> '''Nickname:''' Los periquitos
The antithesis of Real Madrid for years, and their local rival. In its early years the club refused to train non-Spanish players, and was set up as a response to the number of foreign-owned clubs in the country. In doing so, they never really kept in tune with Catalan regionalism, and so were seen as the club of Madrid rule during the Franco era. Due to this, it attracted fans from those who arrived in Catalonia from other regions such as Andalusia or Castilla-La Mancha, looking for better-paid work, and who didn't feel particularly Catalan.
Since the return of democracy they've successfully reinvented their image as a regionalism-friendly team, changing their name from Español to Espanyol.
[[folder:Como ser ''hincha'']]
Right... ¿where do we start?
!! Real Madrid
--> '''Founded:''' 1902
--> '''Home ground:''' Bernabéu
--> '''Nickname:''' Los merengues, Los blancos
The most popular club in Spain, and is often considered the main football symbol of Spain as a unified nation (ironically, it was founded by Catalans), though this is largely a legacy of [[UsefulNotes/FranciscoFranco Franco]] using the club as a symbol of the power of Spain as TorosYFlamenco land - a Real victory was his personal fascist victory during much of the 20th century, and it was often speculated by rival clubs that Franco fixed their matches.[[note]]Most historians suggest Franco didn't actually support a team, and just associated himself with Real as a political move.[[/note]]
Often seen as the club of the rich, compared especially with Atlético, who were the working classes' assembly: it used to be common to see high-ranking politicians in the boxes at the Bernabéu, especially if Franco liked them. Nowadays, they're the most successful club in the Champions League and Club World Cup.
!! FC Barcelona
--> '''Founded:''' 1899
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadi Olimpic Lluís Companys[[note]]Usually the Camp Nou, but they've moved out while it's renovated[[/note]]
--> '''Nickname:''' Barça, Blaugranes
The team of Barcelona, known for its derby with Real and for being the main team of Catalan nationalism. When Franco tried to repress all regional identities, many Catalans in opposition to Franco saw Barcelona as a community of like-minded people, pretty much safety in numbers. Their local rivals are RCD Espanyol - in the early 20th century they were the club of anti-regionalism. Won fourteen trophies in just four years under Pep Guardiola in the early 2010s, but have been in footballing and financial difficulties since.
Their fans are called ''culés'' (''culer'' for the singular). This rather unflattering nickname comes from when they used to use the old ground at Les Corts; as it was a small stadium fans had to sit on fences and railings showing the rest of the fans their behinds.[[note]]''cul'' is Catalan for the posterior.[[/note]]
!! Atlético Madrid
--> '''Founded:''' 1903
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio Metropolitano
--> '''Nickname:''' Colchoneros,[[note]]the mattress-makers[[/note]]
The team of the working classes in Madrid, versus Real who were seen as the club of the super-rich Franco supporters. Originally an offshoot of Athletic Bilbao (who you'll read about later), they went their separate ways at the end of the 1900s.
Often linked to the political left, they're often thought of as the [[ButtMonkey unsuccessful team]] of Spanish football, behind Real and Barcelona. It's often said that being a Real fan is easy, but being an Atlético supporter takes guts (and a lot of schtick from Real ''hinchas'').
!! Athletic Bilbao
--> '''Founded:''' 1898
--> '''Home ground:''' Katedrala/San Mamés
--> '''Nickname:''' Lehoiak, Zuri-gorriak
Kaixo! This is the team of the ''askatasuna''-friendly Basque community. The fourth most-successful club in the league, this is the most successful Spanish[[note]]ahem[[/note]] club which isn't owned by a corporation: it's owned by supporters. Its main rivals are Real Sociedad, due to a local derby between the cities of Bilbao and Donostia[[note]]San Sebastián in Spanish[[/note]]; and Real Madrid, for obvious reasons.
Notable for its unwritten rule of only signing Basque players - and by extension their brilliant youth academy. Real Sociedad had the same but broke it in the late 1980s. They also held out for a long time in not having sponsors on their shirts, whereas other clubs will have about as many as an F1 driver. Even now, the club has only ever had Basque sponsors. It gains them both admirers and critics, but you've got to hand it to Athletic[[note]]The name is in English as the growth of football in the Basque Country had a lot to do with English trade[[/note]] for sticking to their principles.
!! Sevilla
--> '''Founded:''' 1890
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
--> '''Nickname:''' Palanganas
The most successful team in the south of Spain, with the highest Europa League/[[ArtifactTitle UEFA Cup]] wins of any team in Europe. Formed by a Scotsman in 1890, they were seen as the club of the elite for years until a financial crisis in the 1970s. Notable for bringing Unai Emery up, and their player [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Biri Biri]], who was a hit with fans and [[MoodWhiplash gave his name to the club's hooligan group]].
!! Real Betis
--> '''Founded:''' 1907
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio Benito Villamarín
--> '''Nickname:''' Los verdiblancos
The other team of the lower classes in Seville. They're much less successful than Sevilla, winning the Copa del Rey only three times, but being the perennial ButtMonkey of the Spanish league has made their fans known for SelfDeprecation and a general quick wit, with the slogan "¡Viva el Betis manque pierda!"[[note]]Long live Betis even though they lose![[/note]]
Also notable for using the word ''balompié'', a more literal translation for "football", for the first few decades.
!! RCD Espanyol
--> '''Founded:''' 1900
--> '''Home ground:''' Estadio RCDE
--> '''Nickname:''' Los periquitos
The antithesis of Real Madrid for years, and their local rival. In its early years the club refused to train non-Spanish players, and was set up as a response to the number of foreign-owned clubs in the country. In doing so, they never really kept in tune with Catalan regionalism, and so were seen as the club of Madrid rule during the Franco era. Due to this, it attracted fans from those who arrived in Catalonia from other regions such as Andalusia or Castilla-La Mancha, looking for better-paid work, and who didn't feel particularly Catalan.
Since the return of democracy they've successfully reinvented their image as a regionalism-friendly team, changing their name from Español to Espanyol.
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Spelling/grammar fix(es)
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There are six main general TV channels in Spain, established by the PSOE government in the 80s to provide TVE with some competition. Even this was quite politically motivated, and even down to what channel you watch sometimes marks one's political affiliation. Since 2024, Spanish TV has been available in HD only.
to:
There are six main general TV channels in Spain, established by the PSOE government in the 80s 1980s to provide TVE with some competition. Even this was quite politically motivated, and even down to what channel you watch sometimes marks one's political affiliation. Since 2024, Spanish TV has been available in HD only.
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** '''La 2''' is a more highbrow channel with documentaries, films from the continent and concerts.
to:
** '''La 2''' is a more highbrow channel with documentaries, films from the continent continent, and concerts.
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** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.[[note]]Sometimes the regional channel occupies Channel 3, as it was set up as Spain's third channel.[[/note]]
to:
** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''.''Series/ElHormiguero''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.[[note]]Sometimes the regional channel occupies Channel 3, as it was set up as Spain's third channel.[[/note]]
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Each region also has its own channel, to promote the regional culture, but don't get a lot of funding and are in quite a lot of debt.
to:
Each region also has its own channel, to promote the regional culture, but they don't get a lot of funding and are in quite a lot of debt.
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** '''Telecinco''' is the more gossip-friendly network in Spain. Originally it had a focus on {{Fanservice}} but since the success of ''[[Series/BigBrother Gran Hermano]]'' in 2000 it's become known as the reality show and celebrity gossip/tabloid channel. Since 2023 it's been trying to clean up its image and renovate itself as a family-friendly channel, trying to bring back the magic it had in the late '90s, but audiences [[NoSell just aren't buying it]].
to:
** '''Telecinco''' is the more gossip-friendly network in Spain. Originally it had a focus on mundane game show formats complimented by {{Fanservice}} but since the success of ''[[Series/BigBrother Gran Hermano]]'' in 2000 it's become known as the reality show and celebrity gossip/tabloid channel. Since 2023 it's been trying to clean up its image and renovate itself as a family-friendly channel, trying to bring back the magic it had in the late '90s, but audiences [[NoSell just aren't buying it]].
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** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.
** '''LaSexta''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
** '''LaSexta''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
to:
** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.
either.[[note]]Sometimes the regional channel occupies Channel 3, as it was set up as Spain's third channel.[[/note]]
**'''LaSexta''' '''[=LaSexta=]''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
**
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Changed line(s) 41,42 (click to see context) from:
** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.
** '''LaSexta''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
** '''LaSexta''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
to:
** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.
either.[[note]]Sometimes the regional channel occupies Channel 3, as it was set up as Spain's third channel.[[/note]]
**'''LaSexta''' '''[=LaSexta=]''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
**
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For a general overview of the country, see [[UsefulNotes/Spain Spain]].
to:
For a general overview of the country, see [[UsefulNotes/Spain [[UsefulNotes/{{Spain}} Spain]].
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Below are some more in-depth explanations on some of the culture of modern Spain. ¡No {{Spexico}} allowed!
For a general overview of the country, see [[UsefulNotes/Spain Spain]].
[[folder:Politics]]
!! The basics
Spain is a unitary constitutional monarchy but with a strong regionalist culture, divided into 17 autonomous communities. It has a king, currently Felipe VI, and a Prime Minister (confusingly often called the ''presidente''), [[note]]or ''presi'' for short[[/note]] currently [[{{Hunk}} Pedro Sánchez]].
* The '''king of Spain''' is a ceremonial figure, but is still a nice attraction for tourists and the like. The monarchy (read: Franco's family) was restored to Spain after he left the title to his grandson[[note]]to skip his son who didn't agree with his views, he took the gamble of passing the crown to his grandson. It didn't work, and he gave up most of Franco's powers[[/note]], and the king, Juan Carlos I, reigned from 1975 until his [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere abdication under a cloud]] in 2014, after a series of scandals which damaged confidence in the monarchy. The current king is the markedly more popular Felipe VI who, despite many Spaniards not disliking him personally, hasn't quite managed to bring the monarchy back to its former respectability.
* The '''Cortes Generales''' - the parliament - is split into two houses, the '''Congreso de los Diputados''' (lower) and the '''Senado''' (upper). Both houses are elected every four years, and have their power split fairly equally (although the Congreso can overrule the Senado with a supermajority).
* After an election, the Cortes meets to decide on the '''Prime Minister''' (often called the ''presidente'', or ''presi'' for short), who has to run the country. The PM is then subject to an investiture vote, which is always partisan.
** The King will appoint any leader who can pass an investiture vote. This can often be pretty messy when no party gets a majority of seats, which hasn't happened since 2008. This often requires a series of coalitions, and when one party pulls out (such as Ciudadanos in 2018 to bring down Mariano Rajoy), the Congreso will vote to remove the current PM. They can do a couple of things in this instance:
** Try and find support from other parties. Good luck with that.
** Get the other side to find a PM who has confidence. This is what happened in 2018, and Pedro Sánchez won an investiture vote with a view to calling a snap election.
** Call an early election and hope for the best.
----
!! The political parties
From the establishment of democracy to around 2012, Spain was pretty much a two-party system, with the Partido Popular and PSOE swapping power. Nowadays, after both the 15-M protests in 2011 being a near disaster for the PSOE; and various scandals in the 2010s bringing down the PP, it's more open; and voters have a variety of parties to pick from. They also have regional parties, some of which are listed here.
* '''Sumar:''' This is an alliance of like-minded left-wing parties which was formed for the 2023 election. At one stage it looked like they might even beat the PSOE to become Spain's left-wing party, but the PSOE managed to recover. It's led by Yolanda Díaz, and its main function currently is to back up the PSOE.
* '''Partido Socialista Obrador Español''' ('''PSOE'''): Spain's traditional left-wing party. Led by Felipe González for 22 years, it was in government for a while before losing in 1996. In 2004, it got back into government with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, but lost in 2011. Since 2014 it's been led by Pedro Sánchez, known as ''El Guapo'' for his {{Hunk}} appeal; and has managed to somehow stay in government since 2018.
* '''Partido Popular''': Originally a vehicle for Francoist reactionaries, it moved towards electability in the 80s and got into government in 1996. It got back into government in 2011, but the Gürtel scandal[[note]]a massive corruption scandal in which over 100 PP politicians were implicated[[/note]] damaged confidence in them and led to both the formation of Vox in 2014 and PM Mariano Rajoy being ousted in 2018. After him, Pablo Casado took the party further to the right, enough to allow alliances with Vox, but quit after a leadership crisis against Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The current leader is Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the veteran BoringButPractical candidate who very nearly took them back into government in 2023.
* '''Vox''': A splinter group from the PP led by Santiago Abascal - considered Spain's equivalent to Donald Trump. Came into Parliament in 2019 and made headlines after appealing to the courts which declared Spain's first COVID lockdown illegal and forced the government to return all fines to citizens. Suffered a surprise drop in support in 2023, largely attributed to their aggressive style turning off potential voters, who stuck with the PP.
!!! Other regionalist parties
* '''Esquerra Republicana''': A left-wing, pro-independence party in Catalonia. After suffering a drop in support after the establishment of democracy, it had a revival of fortunes in the 21st century, even getting the regional presidency for the first time in 2021, and supported Sánchez's coalition in 2023.
* '''Junts''': Another pro-independence party (right-wing this time) established by exiled Carlos Puigdemont in 2020. A party which managed to secure a controversial amnesty for crimes relating to the 2017 secession referendum as part of a deal with Sánchez to get him over the line in the investiture vote.
* '''EH Bildu''': Basque nationalist party which is the biggest force on the Basque left. Has a core vote in the Basque Country, but has faced criticism from the right as the heirs of ETA.
* '''Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea''': Centrist Basque nationalist party which has been in government in the country since 1979 (apart from an interruption from 2009 to 2012 due to a [[NuclearOption PSOE-PP government]] - yes, it can actually happen).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Elements common to Spanish media]]
There are six main general TV channels in Spain, established by the PSOE government in the 80s to provide TVE with some competition. Even this was quite politically motivated, and even down to what channel you watch sometimes marks one's political affiliation. Since 2024, Spanish TV has been available in HD only.
* '''TVE''' (''Televisión Española'') is the state broadcaster, originally supported by both adverts and subsidies but since 2010 has got rid of adverts. It has four main channels (plus a rolling news channel).
** '''La 1''' is the mainstream channel with news, dramas, soaps, game shows and films.
** '''La 2''' is a more highbrow channel with documentaries, films from the continent and concerts.
** '''Teledeporte''' is a free-to-air sports channel.
** '''Clan''' is a children's channel with programmes for younger kids in the morning and a more young adult audience in the evening.
* '''Atresmedia''' was the first commercial network.
** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.
** '''LaSexta''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
* '''Mediaset España''' is the Spanish version of [[MegaCorp Mediaset]] in Italy.
** '''Cuatro''' was originally established as a standalone channel with more of an anti-establishment and tongue-in-cheek approach to TV. It eventually merged with Telecinco in 2011, and since then has largely become Telecinco's little brother.
** '''Telecinco''' is the more gossip-friendly network in Spain. Originally it had a focus on {{Fanservice}} but since the success of ''[[Series/BigBrother Gran Hermano]]'' in 2000 it's become known as the reality show and celebrity gossip/tabloid channel. Since 2023 it's been trying to clean up its image and renovate itself as a family-friendly channel, trying to bring back the magic it had in the late '90s, but audiences [[NoSell just aren't buying it]].
Each region also has its own channel, to promote the regional culture, but don't get a lot of funding and are in quite a lot of debt.
[[/folder]]
For a general overview of the country, see [[UsefulNotes/Spain Spain]].
[[folder:Politics]]
!! The basics
Spain is a unitary constitutional monarchy but with a strong regionalist culture, divided into 17 autonomous communities. It has a king, currently Felipe VI, and a Prime Minister (confusingly often called the ''presidente''), [[note]]or ''presi'' for short[[/note]] currently [[{{Hunk}} Pedro Sánchez]].
* The '''king of Spain''' is a ceremonial figure, but is still a nice attraction for tourists and the like. The monarchy (read: Franco's family) was restored to Spain after he left the title to his grandson[[note]]to skip his son who didn't agree with his views, he took the gamble of passing the crown to his grandson. It didn't work, and he gave up most of Franco's powers[[/note]], and the king, Juan Carlos I, reigned from 1975 until his [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere abdication under a cloud]] in 2014, after a series of scandals which damaged confidence in the monarchy. The current king is the markedly more popular Felipe VI who, despite many Spaniards not disliking him personally, hasn't quite managed to bring the monarchy back to its former respectability.
* The '''Cortes Generales''' - the parliament - is split into two houses, the '''Congreso de los Diputados''' (lower) and the '''Senado''' (upper). Both houses are elected every four years, and have their power split fairly equally (although the Congreso can overrule the Senado with a supermajority).
* After an election, the Cortes meets to decide on the '''Prime Minister''' (often called the ''presidente'', or ''presi'' for short), who has to run the country. The PM is then subject to an investiture vote, which is always partisan.
** The King will appoint any leader who can pass an investiture vote. This can often be pretty messy when no party gets a majority of seats, which hasn't happened since 2008. This often requires a series of coalitions, and when one party pulls out (such as Ciudadanos in 2018 to bring down Mariano Rajoy), the Congreso will vote to remove the current PM. They can do a couple of things in this instance:
** Try and find support from other parties. Good luck with that.
** Get the other side to find a PM who has confidence. This is what happened in 2018, and Pedro Sánchez won an investiture vote with a view to calling a snap election.
** Call an early election and hope for the best.
----
!! The political parties
From the establishment of democracy to around 2012, Spain was pretty much a two-party system, with the Partido Popular and PSOE swapping power. Nowadays, after both the 15-M protests in 2011 being a near disaster for the PSOE; and various scandals in the 2010s bringing down the PP, it's more open; and voters have a variety of parties to pick from. They also have regional parties, some of which are listed here.
* '''Sumar:''' This is an alliance of like-minded left-wing parties which was formed for the 2023 election. At one stage it looked like they might even beat the PSOE to become Spain's left-wing party, but the PSOE managed to recover. It's led by Yolanda Díaz, and its main function currently is to back up the PSOE.
* '''Partido Socialista Obrador Español''' ('''PSOE'''): Spain's traditional left-wing party. Led by Felipe González for 22 years, it was in government for a while before losing in 1996. In 2004, it got back into government with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, but lost in 2011. Since 2014 it's been led by Pedro Sánchez, known as ''El Guapo'' for his {{Hunk}} appeal; and has managed to somehow stay in government since 2018.
* '''Partido Popular''': Originally a vehicle for Francoist reactionaries, it moved towards electability in the 80s and got into government in 1996. It got back into government in 2011, but the Gürtel scandal[[note]]a massive corruption scandal in which over 100 PP politicians were implicated[[/note]] damaged confidence in them and led to both the formation of Vox in 2014 and PM Mariano Rajoy being ousted in 2018. After him, Pablo Casado took the party further to the right, enough to allow alliances with Vox, but quit after a leadership crisis against Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The current leader is Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the veteran BoringButPractical candidate who very nearly took them back into government in 2023.
* '''Vox''': A splinter group from the PP led by Santiago Abascal - considered Spain's equivalent to Donald Trump. Came into Parliament in 2019 and made headlines after appealing to the courts which declared Spain's first COVID lockdown illegal and forced the government to return all fines to citizens. Suffered a surprise drop in support in 2023, largely attributed to their aggressive style turning off potential voters, who stuck with the PP.
!!! Other regionalist parties
* '''Esquerra Republicana''': A left-wing, pro-independence party in Catalonia. After suffering a drop in support after the establishment of democracy, it had a revival of fortunes in the 21st century, even getting the regional presidency for the first time in 2021, and supported Sánchez's coalition in 2023.
* '''Junts''': Another pro-independence party (right-wing this time) established by exiled Carlos Puigdemont in 2020. A party which managed to secure a controversial amnesty for crimes relating to the 2017 secession referendum as part of a deal with Sánchez to get him over the line in the investiture vote.
* '''EH Bildu''': Basque nationalist party which is the biggest force on the Basque left. Has a core vote in the Basque Country, but has faced criticism from the right as the heirs of ETA.
* '''Euzko Alderdi Jeltzalea''': Centrist Basque nationalist party which has been in government in the country since 1979 (apart from an interruption from 2009 to 2012 due to a [[NuclearOption PSOE-PP government]] - yes, it can actually happen).
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[[folder:Elements common to Spanish media]]
There are six main general TV channels in Spain, established by the PSOE government in the 80s to provide TVE with some competition. Even this was quite politically motivated, and even down to what channel you watch sometimes marks one's political affiliation. Since 2024, Spanish TV has been available in HD only.
* '''TVE''' (''Televisión Española'') is the state broadcaster, originally supported by both adverts and subsidies but since 2010 has got rid of adverts. It has four main channels (plus a rolling news channel).
** '''La 1''' is the mainstream channel with news, dramas, soaps, game shows and films.
** '''La 2''' is a more highbrow channel with documentaries, films from the continent and concerts.
** '''Teledeporte''' is a free-to-air sports channel.
** '''Clan''' is a children's channel with programmes for younger kids in the morning and a more young adult audience in the evening.
* '''Atresmedia''' was the first commercial network.
** '''Antena 3''' is the most mainstream channel in the country, with dramas and light entertainment game shows. The highest-rated channel, largely because of the demise of Telecinco, and also due to having a pretty much unbeatable primetime schedule, consisting of ''Pasapalabra'', the news, [[note]]the highest-rated news in Spain, and they won't let you forget it[[/note]] and ''[[Series/ElHormiguero El Hormiguero]]''. Despite its name, it's not always on channel 3, either.
** '''LaSexta''' is the more left-wing channel, with more of an emphasis on humour and current affairs. Its election coverage has recently been a hit, with shows such as ''Al rojo vivo''.
* '''Mediaset España''' is the Spanish version of [[MegaCorp Mediaset]] in Italy.
** '''Cuatro''' was originally established as a standalone channel with more of an anti-establishment and tongue-in-cheek approach to TV. It eventually merged with Telecinco in 2011, and since then has largely become Telecinco's little brother.
** '''Telecinco''' is the more gossip-friendly network in Spain. Originally it had a focus on {{Fanservice}} but since the success of ''[[Series/BigBrother Gran Hermano]]'' in 2000 it's become known as the reality show and celebrity gossip/tabloid channel. Since 2023 it's been trying to clean up its image and renovate itself as a family-friendly channel, trying to bring back the magic it had in the late '90s, but audiences [[NoSell just aren't buying it]].
Each region also has its own channel, to promote the regional culture, but don't get a lot of funding and are in quite a lot of debt.
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