Brexit and the Spanish general election

More chance of getting run over by a bus !!!!

Thanks for the replies, and what Ray says gives me some hope. I hope they will issue the new law, and think they could do so simply by making its 'Entrada en vigor' on or after the (unspecified) date of a no-deal departure from the EU.

Hi Jim,

Looking at the Spanish Constitution, during usual recesses and between dissolution of parliament and a general election, the powers of Government are carried out by a Permanent Deputation for each House (the Senate and Congress):

"Part III: The Cortes Generales

Chapter I: Houses of Parliament

Section 78

1. In each House there shall be a Permanent Deputation (Diputación Permanente) consisting of a minimum of twenty-one members who shall represent the parliamentary groups in proportion to their numerical importance.
2. The Permanent Deputation shall be presided over by the Speaker of the respective House and their functions shall be that provided in section 73, that of assuming the powers of the Houses in accordance with sections 86 and 116 in case that the latter have been dissolved or their terms have expired, and that of safeguarding the powers of the Houses when they are not in session.
3. On the expiration of the term or in case of dissolution, the Permanent Deputations shall continue to exercise their functions until the constitution of the new Cortes Generales.
4. When the House concerned meets, the Permanent Deputation shall report on the matters dealt with and on its decisions."

Point 4. above suggests to me that the day to day business of Government continues by the Permanent Deputation for each House.  Although not explicitly stated, I would take it that the PDs can direct the Sovereign to ratify their decisions in the same way that Parliament would.

For completeness, the other sections referred to in the above extract can be found at:

http://www.lamoncloa.gob.es/lang/en/espana/leyfundamental/Paginas/titulo_preliminar.aspx

Not very helpfully(!), the individual parts of the Constitution are listed numerically, but not titled, so for easy cross-reference, they are:

Section 73 - Part III    Chapter I  Houses of Parliament

Section 86 - Part III    Chapter II Drafting of Bills

Section 116 - Part V   Relations between the Government and the Cortes Generales

Kind regards,

Kim

Excellent Kim, thanks for taking the time to research it. Hopefully we'll all be a bit wiser soon.

Thanks Kim, and I hope it's correct.

It does conflict with what I read in the Spanish press this week, which said that it would be approved by the council of ministers today, and that within the next fifteen days would have to be approved by the chamber of deputies.

If anyone finds out that it's been published before I do, please give me the link as I want to study the detail.

Hi Jim, here a first reaction in spanish press after approving this morning the real decreto-ley in case of no deal brexit, we will see how the BOE publishes officially

https://www.diariodeavila.es/Noticia/Z3D1CD3FB-E815-3D64-E082AD68A26F9D7A/201903/Sanchez-aprueba-una-ley-para-paliar-un-Brexit-duro

Thanks very much, Alfonso. So far, so good.