16th Cortes Generales

16th Cortes Generales
16th Cortes Generales
←	15th
Overview
Legislative body	Cortes Generales
Jurisdiction	Spain
Meeting place	Palacio de las Cortes
Term	December 2026 –
Election	29 November 2026
Government	TBD, as TBD (Political Party), as Prime Minister
Opposition	TBD (Political Party), as Leader of the Opposition
Website	cortesgenerales.es
Senate
Members	267
President	TBD
1st Vice President	TBD
2nd Vice President	TBD
Congress of Deputies
Members	350
President	TBD
1st Vice President	TBD
2nd Vice President	TBD
3rd Vice President	TBD
4th Vice President	TBD

The 16th Cortes Generales will be a meeting of the Cortes Generales, comprising both the lower (Congress) and upper (Senate) houses of the national legislature of Spain, with the membership determined primarily by the results of the general election held on 29 November 2026. They first convened on December 2026. The 15th Cortes Generales were dissolved prematurely on 5 October 2026 after the parliamentary defeat of the government's housing relief plans by the People's Party, Vox and Junts on 2 October. The 2026 election saw 52 constituencies return 350 MPs for Congress and 209 for Senate.

Election

The 16th Spanish general election under the 1978 Constitution will be held on 29 November 2026.

Alliance		Senate		Congress of Deputies
Alliance		Seats	+/−	Votes	%	Seats	+/−
	PP	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	PSOE	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	Vox	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	Broad Front (FA)	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	ERC–Sob–ERPV	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	EH Bildu	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	JxCat–Junts	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	EAJ/PNV	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
	Others/blanks	0	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0
Total		208	±0	0,0	0.00	0	±0

Parliamentary leadership

The Congress of Deputies and the Senate of the 16th Cortes Generales will be constituted after 24 December 2026. That same day, the members of the Bureaus of both Chambers will be also appointed, by secret ballot and in ballot box, directed by the corresponding tables.

These ballots were held following the general election held on 29 November 2026.

Congress of Deputies

Election of president

For the election of the presidency of the Congress of Deputies and of the board, a first vote is carried out, secret and in a ballot box, with the candidates who run for said position. In this, the absolute majority of the deputies (176/350) is necessary for a candidate to be elected as such. In the event that this absolute majority is not reached, a second vote is carried out, also secret and in a ballot box, with the two candidates with the most votes and the one who obtains a simple majority of the votes will be elected President of the Congress of Deputies.^[1]

1st vote - Presidency (XVI legislature) Majority required: absolute (176/350, 1st vote)
Candidate	Party	Votes	President
—	—	0	TBD
—	—	0
—	—	0
Blank vote		0
Invalid vote		0

Total		350

Election of vice presidents

After the election of the presidency, the four vice-presidencies are elected, using the same system as for the previous election. By secret ballot and ballot box, the four candidates with the most votes will be elected, with the first vice-president being the one who gets the most votes and the fourth vice-president, the one with the fewest. In the event of a tie, a second vote is taken between the tied candidates to settle the order.

candidate	Party	2nd preference	Elected
—	—		1st vice president	2nd vice president
—	—		TBD	TBD
—	—	0
—	—	0
—	—		3rd vice president	4th vice president
Blank vote		0	TBD	TBD

Election of secretaries

After the election of the vice-presidents, the four secretariats are elected using the same system as in the Vice-Presidency. By secret ballot and ballot box, the four candidates with the most votes will be elected, with the first secretary being the one who gets the most votes and the fourth secretary, the one who gets the least. In the event of a tie, a second vote is taken between the tied candidates to settle the order.

Candidate	Party	Elected
—	—	1st Secretary	2nd Secretary
—	—	TBD	TBD
—	—
—	—
—	—	3rd Secretary	4th Secretary
Blank vote		TBD	TBD
Spoilt vote

Senate

Election of president

For the election of the president of the Senate and of the board, a first vote is carried out, secret and in a ballot box, with the candidates who run for said position. In this, the absolute majority of the deputies (134/267) is necessary for a candidate to be elected as such. In case this absolute majority is not reached, a second vote is carried out, also secret and in a ballot box, with the two candidates with the most votes and the one who obtains a simple majority of the votes, will be elected president of the Senate. Each senator casts a single vote, that is, they write a single name on the ballot.^[2]

1st vote - Presidency (XVI legislature) Majority required: absolute (134/267, 1st vote)
Candidate	Party	1st preference	President
—	—	0	TBD
—	—	0
Blank vote		0
Spoilt vote		0
Total		267

Election of vice presidents

After the election of the presidency, the election of the two vice-presidencies is carried out, through the same system as for the previous election. By secret ballot and ballot box, the two candidates with the most votes will be elected, with the first vice president being the one who gets the most votes and the second vice president the one who gets the fewest. In the event of a tie, a second vote is taken between the tied candidates to settle the order. As in the election for the presidency, each senator casts a single vote, that is, they write a single name on the ballot.

Candidate	Party	1st preference	Elected
—	—	0	1st vice president	2nd vice president
—	—	0	TBD	TBD
Blank vote		0
Spoilt vote		0
Total		267

Election of the secretaries

After the election of the vice-presidents, the election of the four secretariats is carried out, with a different system from the two previous ones. By secret ballot box, the four candidates with the most votes will be elected, with the first secretary being the one who gets the most votes and the fourth secretary, the one who gets the least. In the event of a tie, a second vote is taken between the tied candidates to settle the order. However, each senator casts a double vote, that is, on the ballot he writes two names of the candidates he wants to vote for.

1st vote - Secretariats (XV legislature)
Candidate	Party	1st preference	Elected
—	—	0	1st Secretary	2nd Secretary
—	—	0	TBD	TBD
—	—	0
—	—	0
—	—	0	3rd Secretary	4th Secretary
Blank vote		0	TBD	TBD
Spoilt vote		0
Total		267

History

The new Senate will meet for the first time on December 2026.

The new Congress will also meet for the first time on the same date, to elect the new President of the Congress of Deputies.

Aftermath and Government formation

Dissolution

The term of each chamber of the Cortes Generales—the Congress and the Senate—expires four years from the date of their previous election, unless they are dissolved earlier.^[3]^{[full citation needed]} The election decree shall be issued no later than 25 days before the scheduled expiration date of parliament and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE), with election day taking place 54 days after the decree's publication.^[4]^{[full citation needed]} The previous election was held on 29 November 2026, which means that the chambers' terms will expire on 29 November 2030. The election decree must be published in the BOE no later than 4 November 2030, setting the latest possible date for election day on 28 December 2030.

The prime minister has the prerogative to propose the monarch to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence is in process, no state of emergency is in force and that dissolution does not occur before one year after a previous one.^[5] Additionally, both chambers are to be dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process fails to elect a prime minister within a two-month period from the first ballot.^[6] Barring this exception, there is no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections to the Congress and the Senate.^[7] Still, as of 2026, there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.

Members

Senate

Congress of Deputies

References

↑ "Reglamento del Congreso de los Diputados" (PDF).
↑ España, Senado de. "Reglamento del Senado | Senado de España". www.senado.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 August 2023.
↑ Constitution (1978), arts. 68–69.
↑ LOREG (1985), arts. 42 & 167.
↑ Constitution (1978), arts. 115–116.
↑ Constitution (1978), art. 99.
↑ "Constitución española. Título V. De las relaciones entre el Gobierno y las Cortes Generales. Sinopsis artículo 115" (in Spanish). Congress of Deputies. Retrieved 31 October 2025, summarizing Constitution (1978), art. 115.

[1] "Reglamento del Congreso de los Diputados" (PDF).

[2] España, Senado de. "Reglamento del Senado | Senado de España". www.senado.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 August 2023.

[3] Constitution (1978), arts. 68–69.

[4] LOREG (1985), arts. 42 & 167.

[5] Constitution (1978), arts. 115–116.

[6] Constitution (1978), art. 99.

[7] "Constitución española. Título V. De las relaciones entre el Gobierno y las Cortes Generales. Sinopsis artículo 115" (in Spanish). Congress of Deputies. Retrieved 31 October 2025, summarizing Constitution (1978), art. 115.

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