POLITICAL STORM - JUSTICE - AUDIOVISUAL INDUSTRY - EQUALITY - EDUCATION - LOBBY REGULATION

Current status of the Cinema Bill and next steps

The Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Bill (initiative number 121/000026) is still in the Congress of Deputies, in the amendment phase, within the first reading. As of 15‑06‑2026, the text has already been admitted, published, and is being processed under the urgency procedure, but the deadline for amendments to the articles remains open until 17‑06‑2026 after multiple extensions. Additionally, total amendments have already been submitted and published, although they have not yet been debated or voted on in Plenary. The next milestones will be the closing of the amendment period, the total debate in the Plenary of the Congress, and, if it passes that vote, the work in the committee and subcommittee before its submission to the Senate.

Identification and framework of the Cinema Bill

The Government registered the Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Bill in the Congress on 14‑06‑2024, with initiative number 121/000026, during the XV Legislature. The Board of the Congress qualified and admitted it for processing on 18‑06‑2024, and the project text was published in the Official Bulletin of the General Courts (BOCG, Series A, no. 26‑1) on 21‑06‑2024. The Council of Ministers decided to process it by the urgency procedure, an agreement reflected on 28‑06‑2024 in the BOCG Series A, no. 26‑2.

This is the regulation intended to update the legal framework of cinema and audiovisual culture in Spain, but from a strictly parliamentary point of view, it remains in its first stage in the Lower House. There is no record yet of any action by the Senate on this project, so the entire procedure is concentrated in the Congress.

Exact parliamentary phase it is in

After the publication of the project, the period for submitting amendments to the articles was opened, initially until early September 2024, a deadline that has been repeatedly extended. According to processing information, 69 extensions of that deadline have been agreed upon, which has kept the amendment process alive for practically two legislative years.

As of 15‑06‑2026, the specific situation is as follows:

• The project is being processed under urgency, which theoretically shortens deadlines, but in practice has not prevented successive extensions of the amendment period.
• The deadline for amendments to the articles remains open and is extended until 17‑06‑2026.
• On 8‑06‑2026, the total amendments (Series A, no. 26‑3) were published in the BOCG, that is, proposals to return the project or alternative texts.
• The following are not yet recorded in the processing registry: the total debate in Plenary, the constitution of the Subcommittee, the approval of a Subcommittee Report, nor a Committee Opinion; nor the submission to the Senate.

Consequently, the Cinema Bill remains in the first substantive phase of its processing in the Congress, in the amendment stage (total amendments already submitted and published, and amendments to the articles still within the submission/extension period).

Next planned procedural steps

From this phase, and according to the Congress Rules, the specific expected steps for this initiative (if the text is not returned) are as follows:

1) Closing of the deadline for amendments to the articles
The first milestone is the expiration of the deadline for amendments to the articles, currently set for 17‑06‑2026. The Board may continue agreeing on new extensions, but when it stops doing so and the final deadline arrives, the registration of new amendments will close. Only then will the initiative be ready to move to the total debate in Plenary if the total amendments remain.

2) Debate and vote on the total amendments in the Plenary of the Congress
Since total amendments have been registered, a total debate must be held in Plenary. In it, the Government will defend the project and the groups authoring the amendments will present their arguments, while the rest of the groups take positions. At the end of the debate, the return or alternative text amendments are voted on:

• If a total return amendment is approved, the project is returned to the Government and its parliamentary processing ends at this point.
• If all total amendments are rejected, the project continues its ordinary processing in committee.

3) Work in the competent committee: Subcommittee and Report
If the total amendments are rejected, the Cinema Bill is referred to the competent committee on culture. There, a Subcommittee is appointed, made up of deputies from different groups, which will study the Government's text along with all the amendments to the articles submitted. The result of this work is a Subcommittee Report, which incorporates or rejects amendments and proposes a revised articulated text.

4) Committee Opinion and possible referral to Plenary
Based on the Subcommittee Report, the committee holds a debate to approve the Opinion on the project. If the committee acts with full legislative competence and the Plenary does not refer the initiative to itself, the opinion text may be equivalent to the final approval by the Congress. If not, or if the Plenary decides to refer the project to itself, the opinion is submitted to the Plenary of the Congress.

5) Approval by the Congress and submission to the Senate
In Plenary, if applicable, the committee opinion will be debated and voted on, article by article and as a whole, along with the amendments still alive. The result of that vote will produce the text finally approved by the Congress, which will be sent to the Senate.

6) Processing in the Senate and, if applicable, second round in the Congress
In the Senate, a new amendment period will open and the committee and Plenary scheme will be repeated. The Upper House may approve the text without changes, introduce amendments, or approve a veto. If there are amendments or a veto, the project will return to the Congress, which will decide on the acceptance or rejection of the amendments and, if applicable, on the lifting of the veto with the required majorities. Only then will the text be definitively approved and may be sanctioned, promulgated, and published as the Cinema and Audiovisual Culture Law.

Summary answer

The General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) is the governing body of judges in Spain, and its powers are mainly defined by the Constitution and the Organic Law of the Judiciary (LOPJ). Its functions focus on appointments and the professional career of judges and magistrates, inspection and discipline, the organization and internal functioning of judicial bodies, and the institutional representation of the Judiciary. In the international projection, the CGPJ participates in the selection of Spanish candidates for international courts, evaluating merits and proposing names to the Government. The final designation and communication to international bodies correspond to the Executive, according to the internal regulatory framework and the specific rules of each court.

Powers of the CGPJ according to Spanish legislation

According to the Spanish Constitution (art. 122) and the Organic Law 6/1985, of July 1, of the Judiciary (LOPJ), the CGPJ is the governing body of the Judiciary and guarantees its independence from the other branches of the State. Its actions do not enter into the content of judicial rulings but into the professional statute and organizational framework of judges and courts.

Appointments, career, and professional promotion

One of its core powers is to appoint and promote judges and magistrates. This includes:

– The proposal and appointment of those entering the judicial career.
– The assignment of posts and promotions within the judiciary.
– The designation for discretionary positions, such as presidencies of Provincial Courts, High Courts of Justice, and other responsibility posts.

These decisions are made by agreements of the Plenary or the Permanent Commission of the CGPJ, depending on the matter, and are based on criteria of merit, ability, and, where appropriate, specialization.

Inspection and disciplinary power

The CGPJ exercises inspection and disciplinary functions over judges and magistrates:

– It supervises the functioning of courts through the Inspection Service.
– It instructs disciplinary proceedings and can impose sanctions when judicial statute violations are found.
– It ensures that the actions of judicial bodies comply with the principles of independence, impartiality, and efficiency.

Judicial organization and management

Organizationally, the CGPJ:

– Proposes the creation or suppression of judicial bodies and sets criteria for the distribution of cases among courts of the same order or judicial district.
– Issues internal regime rules and regulations affecting the internal functioning of jurisdictional bodies, always within the framework set by law.
– Participates in the management of human and material resources of the Judiciary, in coordination with the Ministry of Justice and autonomous communities with competencies.

Institutional representation

The CGPJ also holds the institutional representation of the Judiciary:

– Acts as interlocutor with the Government, Parliament, and other constitutional bodies.
– Represents Spanish judges before international judicial organizations and networks.
– Issues reports on draft bills and regulatory projects affecting the Judiciary or the exercise of jurisdictional function.

Selection of candidates for international courts

Spain has a specific procedure to select candidates for international courts such as the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the European Union, or the International Criminal Court. This procedure is based on internal regulations (including the LOPJ and specific royal decrees, such as Royal Decree 123/2019) and the specific rules of each international court, which set eligibility requirements, professional profiles, and the format of candidacies.

Regulatory framework and principles

The general scheme is inspired by the principles of merit, ability, transparency, and compliance with international standards. The Constitution and the LOPJ guarantee judicial independence and justify the CGPJ's participation in these processes, while Royal Decree 123/2019 (among other norms) develops the concrete steps for selection and proposal of candidates to international judicial bodies.

Role of the CGPJ

In this procedure, the CGPJ usually plays a technical and preliminary filtering role:

– Calls and organizes selection processes when positions are for jurists of recognized prestige or judges from the judicial career.
– Evaluates merits and aptitude of applicants, often through specialized commissions that assess career, publications, languages, and international experience.
– Prepares a list of suitable candidates, adjusted to the conditions required by the destination court (for example, requirements of years of practice, independence, or knowledge of EU Law or the European Convention on Human Rights).
– Formally proposes candidates to the Government for final designation.

Role of the Government and other bodies

The Government of Spain receives the CGPJ's proposal and assumes the political and diplomatic responsibility for the candidacy:

– Decides the formal designation of the candidate or shortlist to be sent to the competent international body.
– Communicates the designation to the international court and carries out procedures before the Council of Europe, the European Union, or the United Nations, as applicable.
– May request reports or collaboration from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the profile fits Spain's international strategy.

In some cases, parliamentary committees may also intervene by issuing reports or holding hearings, depending on the regulations applicable to the destination court, although this element varies by international jurisdiction.

General scheme of the procedure

In summary, the model currently in Spain usually follows these phases:

1) The CGPJ calls the selection process and publishes the terms, according to applicable national and international regulations.
2) Candidates submit their applications and prove their merits and experience.
3) The CGPJ evaluates and selects the most suitable applicants and formulates its proposal.
4) The Government adopts the official designation and communicates it to the corresponding international court.
5) The international body verifies the candidacy and, if applicable, proceeds to the election or appointment according to its own internal rules.

Results of the latest general elections (July 23, 2023)

The latest general elections held in Spain were on July 23, 2023. They resulted in a highly fragmented Congress of Deputies, with the Popular Party (PP) as the leading force in seats and votes, closely followed by the PSOE, and with Vox and Sumar as the main complementary forces on the right and left. The turnout was 66.59%, with just under 25 million votes cast. As of June 15, 2026, no new general elections subsequent to 2023 are recorded in the consulted sources, so that remains the last nationwide electoral event.

Basic voting and turnout data

According to official results compiled by reference media such as El País, in the July 23 elections, 24,952,447 votes were cast, of which 24,507,715 were valid votes for candidacies. Turnout stood at 66.59% of the census. The PP positioned itself for the first time since 2016 as the leading force in votes and seats, although without an absolute majority.

Results by party in the Congress

The distribution of seats and votes in the Congress of Deputies was as follows:

Statewide parties:
• PP: 137 seats, 8,160,837 votes, 33.06% of the vote.
• PSOE: 121 seats, 7,821,718 votes, 31.68% of the vote.
• Vox: 33 seats, 3,057,000 votes, 12.38% of the vote.
• Sumar: 31 seats, 3,044,996 votes, 12.33% of the vote.

Nationalist and regionalist formations:
• ERC: 7 seats, 462,883 votes (1.87%).
• Junts: 7 seats, 391,241 votes (1.58%).
• EH Bildu: 6 seats, 333,730 votes (1.35%).
• PNV: 5 seats, 323,331 votes (1.31%).
• BNG: 1 seat, 348,651 votes (1.41%).
• Canary Coalition: 1 seat, 124,493 votes (0.50%).
• UPN: 1 seat, 56,707 votes (0.23%).

The sum of PP and Vox reached 170 seats, below the absolute majority (176), while Pedro Sánchez's investiture bloc was articulated around PSOE, Sumar, and various nationalist and regionalist formations (ERC, Junts, EH Bildu, PNV, BNG, CC, and UPN), in a very tight arithmetic.

Current composition of the Congress of Deputies

With the available information, it can be stated that the original composition of the Congress in the XV Legislature, arising from the July 23 elections, is as follows: PP 137 deputies, PSOE 121, Vox 33, Sumar 31, ERC 7, Junts 7, EH Bildu 6, PNV 5, BNG 1, Canary Coalition 1, and UPN 1. This distribution determines the political balance of the legislature and the formation of majorities for investiture, law approval, and budgets.

The consulted sources do not provide, as of June 15, 2026, a real-time updated detail of possible subsequent changes such as seat replacements due to resignations, deaths, incompatibilities, or changes of group affiliation. To verify precisely the situation of each seat at this specific moment, it is necessary to consult directly the official pages of the Congress of Deputies and the Central Electoral Board, as well as the statistical portal of the INE or the election history of specialized portals such as Electoral History.

Political context of the current legislature

From a parliamentary perspective, the Congress resulting from the July 23 elections shows a balance of forces marked by the absence of clear majorities of a single bloc. The PP, despite being the leading force, did not reach a sufficient majority with Vox to govern alone, which opened the way for an alternative investiture of Pedro Sánchez based on multiparty agreements. This scenario has led to a highly negotiated legislative dynamic, in which nationalist and regionalist formations with few seats play a decisive role in key votes.

In summary, the July 2023 general elections configured a highly plural and fragmented Congress, which remains, to this day, the basic reference to understand the Spanish political map at the state level, pending the calling of new general elections that may modify that composition.