Committees in a party-dominated parliament

Abstract

Parliamentary committees were formally settled in the Spanish Parliament for the first time more than 200 years ago. Nowadays, they play a key role – together with the parliamentary party groups – in the functioning of the chambers, both the Congreso de los Diputados and the Senate (as is also the case in the regional parliaments): they are strong committees, with a permanent tenure, fixed and wide jurisdiction (usually ‘mirroring’ the cabinet ministries portfolios), powerful legislative competencies (both preparing the plenary work and passing legislation by themselves), and intense oversight competencies over the government, its officials and policies. Nevertheless, committees’ strength is conditioned by parliamentary party groups and their leaders, that exert an almost almighty control over the individual MPs and their activities, due to formal and informal rules. Nevertheless, committees are key actors in the policy process, initiating and influencing the political agenda, passing legislation, and conducting an intense oversight activity. The increased fragmentation in the party system (and, therefore, in the Chamber) has increased the relevance of committees in recent years; negotiations and compromises are more necessary now than in the case on the previous four decades.