Second government of Eugenio Montero Ríos
2nd government of Eugenio Montero Ríos | |
|---|---|
Government of Spain | |
| 1905 | |
Montero Ríos before 1914 | |
| Date formed | 31 October 1905 |
| Date dissolved | 1 December 1905 |
| People and organisations | |
| Monarch | Alfonso XIII |
| Prime Minister | Eugenio Montero Ríos |
| No. of ministers | 7[a] |
| Total no. of members | 7[a] |
| Member party | Liberal–Democratic |
| Status in legislature | Majority (single-party) |
| Opposition party | Conservative |
| Opposition leader | Antonio Maura |
| History | |
| Predecessor | Montero Ríos I |
| Successor | Moret I |
The second government of Eugenio Montero Ríos was formed on 31 October 1905, following the latter's appointment as prime minister of Spain by King Alfonso XIII on 28 October and his swearing-in three days later,[1] as a result of his own resignation from the post on 27 October in order to trigger a cabinet reshuffle.[2][3] It succeeded the first Montero government and was the government of Spain from 31 October to 1 December 1905, a total of 31 days, or 1 month and 1 day.[2]
The cabinet comprised members of the Liberal–Democratic alliance, one independent and one military officer.[4] It was disestablished in the wake of the ¡Cu-Cut! incident and was succeeded by the first Moret government.[5]
Formation
Overview
The Spanish Constitution of 1876 enshrined Spain as a semi-constitutional monarchy during the Restoration period, awarding the monarch—under the royal prerogative—the power to appoint government members (including the prime minister); the ability to grant or deny the decree of dissolution of the Cortes, or the adjournment of legislative sessions, to the incumbent or aspiring government that requested it; and the capacity to inform, inspect and ultimately control executive acts by granting or denying the signature of royal decrees; among others.[6][7]
The monarch would play a key role in the turno system by appointing and dismissing governments, which would then organize elections to provide themselves with a parliamentary majority.[8] As a result, governments during this period were dependent on royal confidence, which was frequently secured or lost based on the leaders' ability to guarantee the internal unity and parliamentary cohesion of their parties.[9][10] In practice, the royal prerogative was not exercised freely by the monarch, but was carried out through the opening of a round of consultations—with the presidents of the chambers, the leaders of the main parties, the potential candidates and other notable figures—prior to government formation, or when prime ministers raised a matter of confidence to the monarch.[11]
Cabinet crisis
King Alfonso XIII held a round of consultations on 28 October 1905 to determine a solution to the political crisis arising from Montero Ríos's resignation.[12][13][14]
| Consultations King of Spain | ||||
| Date | Consultee | Office/position | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 October 1905 | José López Domínguez | President of the Senate | Military | |
| Marquis of Vega de Armijo | President of the Congress of Deputies | Lib–Dem/Dem | ||
| Segismundo Moret | Leader of the Liberal Party (former) | Lib–Dem/Lib | ||
| Eugenio Montero Ríos | Prime Minister Leader of the Liberal Party |
Lib–Dem/Dem | ||
| Nominations | ||||
| Outcome → | Nomination of Eugenio Montero Ríos (Liberal) Accepted | |||
| Sources[12][13][14] | ||||
The outcome of the consultations led Alfonso XIII to entrust the formation of a new government to Eugenio Montero Ríos, who accepted the nomination.[15]
Council of Ministers
The Council of Ministers was structured into the office for the prime minister and eight ministries.[4]
| ← Montero Ríos II Government → (31 October – 1 December 1905) | ||||||
| Portfolio | Name | Party | Took office | Left office | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime Minister | Eugenio Montero Ríos | Lib–Dem/Dem | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [16] | |
| Minister of State | Pío Gullón | Lib–Dem/Dem | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
| Minister of Grace and Justice | Joaquín López Puigcerver | Lib–Dem/Dem | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
| Minister of War Minister of the Navy |
Valeriano Weyler | Military | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
| Minister of Finance | José Echegaray | Independent | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
| Minister of Governance | Manuel García Prieto | Lib–Dem/Dem | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
| Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts | Manuel de Eguilior | Lib–Dem/Dem | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
| Minister of Development | Count of Romanones | Lib–Dem/Lib | 31 October 1905 | 1 December 1905 | [17] | |
Notes
References
- ^ Soldevilla 1906, pp. 428–431.
- ^ a b Rodríguez Labandeira, José (2022). "Personajes: Eugenio María Montero Ríos". Historia Hispánica (in Spanish). Royal Academy of History. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- ^ Soldevilla 1906, pp. 422–427.
- ^ a b Soldevilla 1906, p. 431.
- ^ Soldevilla 1906, pp. 495–498.
- ^ Calero 1987, p. 275.
- ^ Constitution (1876), arts. 32 & 54.
- ^ Martorell Linares 1997, pp. 139–143.
- ^ Calero 1987, pp. 283–289.
- ^ Ferrera Cuesta, Carlos (2022). "Personajes: Segismundo Moret y Prendergast". Historia Hispánica (in Spanish). Royal Academy of History. Retrieved 18 August 2025.: "... according to the political practice of the Restoration, since voters did not determine majorities due to electoral manipulation, the requirement demanded of any leader to retain power was to guarantee the unity of the Party. [Spanish: ... según la práctica política de la Restauración, dado que los votantes no determinaban las mayorías a causa de la manipulación electoral, el requisito exigido a cualquier líder para conservar el poder pasaba por garantizar la unidad del Partido.]"
- ^ Calero 1987, pp. 289–291.
- ^ a b "Gobierno en crisis". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 28 October 1905. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ a b "La crisis". National Library of Spain (in Spanish). El Imparcial. 29 October 1905. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ a b Soldevilla 1906, pp. 426–427.
- ^ Soldevilla 1906, p. 427.
- ^ "Real decreto nombrando Presidente del Consejo de Ministros a D. Eugenio Montero Ríos" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (305). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 385. 1 November 1905.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Reales decretos nombrando Ministro de Estado a D. Pío Gullón; de Gracia y Justicia, a D. Joaquín López Puigcerver; de la Guerra, a D. Valeriano Weyler; de Marina, a D. Valeriano Weyler; de Hacienda, a D. José Echegaray; de la Gobernación, a D. Manuel García Prieto; de Instrucción Pública y Bellas Artes, a D. Manuel Eguilior; y de Fomento, a D. Álvaro Figueroa y Torres" (PDF). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish) (305). State Agency for the Official State Gazette: 385–386. 1 November 1905.
Bibliography
- Constitución de la Monarquía Española (PDF) (Constitution). Madrid Gazette (in Spanish). King of Spain. 30 June 1876. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
- Soldevilla, Fernando (1906). El Año Político 1905 (in Spanish). Madrid: National Library of Spain. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
- Calero, Antonio María (1987). "La prerrogativa regia en la Restauración: teoría y práctica (1875-1902)" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (55). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 273–315. ISSN 0048-7694.
- Martorell Linares, Miguel Ángel (1997). "La crisis parlamentaria de 1913-1917. La quiebra del sistema de relaciones parlamentarias de la Restauración" (PDF). Revista de Estudios Políticos (in Spanish) (96). Madrid: Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies: 137–161. ISSN 0048-7694.
External links
- The governments of the second period of the Liberal Party (1905–1907) (under Alfonso XIII). Lluís Belenes i Rodríguez History Page (in Spanish).