Broncano and the electoral calendar: Spain's LOREG sets the rules

Broncano hints at March elections and the electoral calendar leaves no room

David Broncano, at the presentation of RTVE's new season, dropped a line that spread like wildfire: "I antiestéticar this may be my last presentation on TVE… let's not fool ourselves, we all know what can happen. Depending on what happens in the March elections…" The remark, picked up in a tweet, has been read as a preview of a snap general election in Spain in March. The host is not hiding: he knows what it is, who is behind it, and he antiestéticars for his future. And besides, he's a chatterbox.

The election date is not chosen at random

Some are calling for elections within a month. Impossible. Article 42 of the LOREG (Spain's electoral law) states that elections are held on the fifty-fourth day after the call. In other words, a fixed 54 days between the royal decree and the vote. If the decree were published tomorrow, voting would take place in late October. To vote in March, the decree would have to be signed between the first days of January and the first days of February, depending on which Sunday is chosen. The date is not picked at random: it is counted backwards.

The dissolution mechanism is well known: it is proposed by the prime minister under his sole responsibility, after deliberation by the Council of Ministers, and decreed by the King. With that arithmetic, the window for a March election is narrow but real. The striking fact: anyone who wants to call an early election cannot do it "right now". The LOREG knows no urgency.