President of the Principality of Asturias

President of the Principality of Asturias
Coat of Arms of the Principality of Asturias
Incumbent Javier Fernández Fernández since 2012
Appointer	Following a vote of confidence by a majority of the General Junta
Term length	No fixed term Regional election to the General Junta are held every 4 years at most. No term limits are imposed on the office.
Constituting instrument	Statute of Autonomy
Inaugural holder	Rafael Fernández Álvarez
Formation	1978

The President of the Government of the Principality of Asturias is the head of government of the Spanish autonomous community of Asturias. The President is chosen by the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias, regional parliamentary institution.

Election

The President is elected after the constitution of the General Junta or after the cessation of the former President.

A deputy can be nominated as candidate only if at least five members propose him.

During the Investiture proceedings the nominees present their political agenda in an Investiture Speech to be debated and submitted for a Vote of Confidence by the General Junta, effecting an indirect election of the head of government. A simple majority confirms the nominee and his program. At the moment of the vote, the confidence is awarded if the candidate receives a majority of votes in the first poll (currently 23 out of 45 deputies), but if the confidence is not awarded, a second vote is scheduled two days later in which a simple majority of votes cast (i.e., more "yes" than "no" votes) is required.

Headquarters

The headquarters of the President of the Principality of Asturias are located in Oviedo. The building is in the back part of the General Junta of the Principality of Asturias and both buildings are connected by an underground passage.

The building was formerly the seat of the Bank of Spain in Oviedo until 1982

The Principality of Asturias acquired the building 1982 and reformed it for its current use between 1983 and 1985.

List of Presidents of the Principality of Asturias

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political Party	Legislature	Monarch (Reign)
			Took office	Left office	Days
1		Rafael Fernández (1932–2010)	5 May 1982	18 June 1983	409	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party	Provisional	Juan Carlos I (1975–2014)
			Approved the Statute of Autonomy of the Principality of Asturias.
2		Pedro de Silva (1945–)	18 June 1983	28 July 1987	2944	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party	I (1983)
			28 July 1987	10 July 1991			II (1987)
			Became the first democratically-elected President.
3		Juan Luis Rodríguez-Vigil (1945–)	10 July 1991	18 June 1993	709	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party	III (1991)
			Was forced to resign after the Petromocho scandal.
4		Antonio Trevín (1956–)	18 June 1993	14 July 1995	756	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
			Succeeded Rodríguez-Vigil mid-term.
5		Sergio Marqués (1946–2012)	14 July 1995	20 July 1999	1467	People's Party Asturian Renewal Union	IV(1995)
			First non-socialist President. Left the Popular Party in December 1998.
6		Vicente Álvarez Areces (1943–)	20 July 1999	4 July 2003	4378	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party	V (1999)
			4 July 2003	11 July 2007			VI (2003)
			11 July 2007	15 July 2011			VII (2007)
			Three consecutive terms. Longest serving Asturian President.
7		Francisco Álvarez-Cascos (1947–)	15 July 2011	24 May 2012	314	Asturias Forum	VIII (2011)
			Shortest term of an Asturian President. Called for new elections after being rejected his Regional budget for 2012.
8		Javier Fernández (1948–)	24 May 2012	22 July 2015	1669	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party	IX (2012)
								Felipe VI (2014–)
			22 July 2015	Incumbent			X (2015)
			Abdication of King Juan Carlos I in 2014. PSOE corruption scandals (Villa, Riopedre, Marea). 2015–16 Spanish government formation trouble. 2016 PSOE leadership crisis.

See also

• General Junta of the Principality of Asturias
• Government of the Principality of Asturias