Formentera to Get Its Own Senator for the First Time After Constitutional Reform Approved. The King has signed the constitutional reform granting Formentera the right to its own senator. Previously, the island shared representation with Ibiza. This is the fourth amendment to the main law since 1978.
An important stage of the reform has been completed in Spain: King Felipe VI has signed amendments to the Constitution, which for the first time allow Formentera to independently elect a senator. Previously, the island’s roughly 11,000 residents had to share Senate representation with Ibiza. Now Formentera becomes a separate electoral district, eliminating a long-standing inequality between the islands of the Balearic and Canary archipelagos.
The official signing ceremony took place at the Zarzuela Palace. Attending were Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Congress President Francina Armengol, Senate head Pedro Rollán, Constitutional Court President Cándido Conde-Pumpido, and head of the Supreme Court and General Council of the Judiciary María Isabel Perelló. The monarch’s signature was the final legal step for the amendment to come into force.
The reform affects Article 69, Section 3 of the Constitution, establishing Formentera as a separate senatorial district. During the congressional vote, the initiative was supported by 272 deputies, the Vox party voted against, and PNV representatives abstained. The Senate also approved the changes. Now each island territory with its own Cabildo or Council will have guaranteed representation: three senators for the largest islands (Gran Canaria, Mallorca, Tenerife) and one each for the others, including Formentera, Ibiza, Menorca, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote, and La Palma.
This is already the fourth amendment to the Spanish Constitution since its adoption in 1978. According to RUSSPAIN, previous changes mainly concerned the country's financial and European commitments. The new measure eliminates a unique situation in which only Formentera, among all the islands, did not have its own senator. The issue of island territories' representation has been a regular topic of discussion in parliament, and it has now been finally resolved. In the context of recent changes to electoral procedures related to elections to the Fiscal Council, more details can be found in the article on voting for the new composition of the prosecution service, the reform for Formentera highlights the push for a fairer distribution of political representation in Spain.
For reference: The Senate of Spain is the upper house of the Cortes Generales, representing both provinces and autonomous communities. Island territories have traditionally had separate quotas; however, until now, Formentera had remained an exception. The new rule takes effect immediately and will apply already to the upcoming elections to the Senate.
