[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-rise-of-the-empire-spain":3,"chapter-rise-of-the-empire-spain-rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-146":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Rise of the Empire: Spain",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2365074,4632,"Chapter 146: Annual Work Report","rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-146",146,"\u003Cp>Time continued to flow, and as 1872 became the past, 1873 officially began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Spanish government, 1872 was a year of constant progress. Throughout this year, the government promulgated numerous decrees to continue advancing reforms across Spain, and the completion of the Seville industrial base also allowed Spain's industry to grow significantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coupled with the achievements of various construction projects, Spain began to transform from a traditional agricultural country into an industrial one, and it is striving toward becoming a developed European nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying goes, a fat man is never made in one bite. Spain's reforms and the construction of its industrial economy can by no means be completed in a short time, and the so-called slogan of surpassing Britain and France is certainly not something that can be achieved within the 19th century.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Spanish government and officials at all levels, the most important thing at present is to adhere to the Five-Year Development Plan act promulgated by the Spanish government, to effectively and practically improve the development of Spain's industry and various sectors, and to effectively promote the country's progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the old custom, Gao Da attended the large-scale parliamentary meeting at the end of the year and, together with many members of parliament, listened to the 1872 annual government work report submitted to the parliament by the Spanish cabinet government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, submitting an annual government work report to the parliament every year was Prime Minister Primo's proposal. Its intention was not only to explain to the members of parliament what contributions and efforts the Spanish cabinet government had made during this year, but also to tell the Spanish public through such an opportunity that the government was doing real work for this country and all Spanish citizens, rather than doing nothing at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is precisely because of this purpose that the annual government work report meeting is very important every year. Each department summarizes the political achievements made during the year into a clear and easy-to-understand report, so that all members of parliament and the public can understand it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once a government department fails to have an impressive report at the annual work report meeting, it actually proves in disguise that the department's work situation during this year is not very satisfactory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is precisely because of this that all departments attach great importance to the annual work report meeting, because it truly and practically concerns their own interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do not forget that the Spanish parliament has the power to impeach officials. Whether it is the Prime Minister who forms the cabinet government or every minister in the cabinet government, the Spanish parliament has the power to impeach and dismiss them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is just that the entire impeachment process is not that easy; it must obtain the support of the majority of seats in the parliament to complete the entire impeachment and dismissal process for an official.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to the provisions of the Spanish Constitution, members of the Spanish Chamber of Deputies have the power to impeach any official. When any member submits an impeachment proposal to the parliament, it also means that the entire impeachment process has officially begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What determines the final direction of an impeachment proposal is, in fact, the attitude of all members within the parliament. Once more than 60% of the members agree to the impeachment proposal, it also means that the parliament has officially dismissed the official being impeached from their position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the number of people agreeing to the impeachment exceeds 40% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies but does not exceed 60%, a joint meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate will be initiated to conduct a wider range of voting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chamber of Deputies and the Senate are, in fact, the upper and lower houses of Spain, and combined, they form the complete parliament.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The current parliamentary system in Spain is quite complex and can even extend to small parliaments in various cities. Members elected by the parliaments of various cities form a higher-level regional parliament, and the regional parliament then elects a very small number of members to finally form the Chamber of Deputies, which possesses real power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true right to vote of the Spanish public is only reflected in the city councils of various cities. They can elect members of the city council, and these city council members are the ones who have the right to be elected as members of higher-level parliaments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elections further up have nothing to do with the public. After all, public opinion can be controlled, and the voting of a large number of voters would also increase the burden of vote counting, which is unnecessary for the current Spain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the Chamber of Deputies, the election of the Senate has nothing to do with the public directly. According to the latest Spanish Constitution, the Spanish Senate is composed of elections by various regional and colonial governments, plus members of the cabinet government to form a complete Senate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Chamber of Deputies possesses legislative power, then the greatest power of the Senate is to conduct a secondary review of the laws passed by the Chamber of Deputies; those passed are officially executed, and those not passed are sent back for revision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, apart from reviewing laws submitted by the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate does not have much of importance to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if there is a certain disagreement on some major votes, the role of the Senate is reflected. When the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate hold a joint meeting to vote together, the votes of these members of the Senate are still very useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the number of members of the Chamber of Deputies who agree to the impeachment in an impeachment case exceeds 40% but does not reach 60%, a joint meeting of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate will be initiated to vote together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, if the number of votes exceeds 50% of the total number of people, the impeachment case can also be pushed forward; if the number of votes does not exceed 50% of the total number of people, it means the impeachment case is over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, if the number of people agreeing in the Chamber of Deputies' vote on the impeachment proposal does not exceed 40%, it also means that the impeachment case automatically ends and the impeachment is void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this aspect, it can be seen that although the Chamber of Deputies has the power to supervise the government, it is still quite difficult to actually dismiss a certain official or the entire government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared with members of the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate does not have the power to supervise the government. But this does not mean that the Senate is not important; after all, whether a bill can be successfully executed in the end, the attitude of the Senate is also very important.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, the Spanish Chamber of Deputies has the most seats, totaling 208 seats, with corresponding seats allocated to various regions according to the population ratio of various regions and colonies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seats in the Senate are relatively fixed, totaling less than 30. Each region and colony has only one seat, basically held by the regional governor or colonial Viceroy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides this, the only ones who can enter the Senate are the cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister, which actually also means that the members of the Senate are all high-level officials in the Spanish government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, whether a bill is suitable for implementation in various parts of Spain, these officials still have a certain power to express their opinions. The perspective of members of the Chamber of Deputies on matters is generally too singular and often forgets the concerns of the government in certain aspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this time, the opinions of the Senate appear particularly important. Under the guidance of the Senate, the laws promulgated by the Chamber of Deputies can also move in a direction more suitable for Spain's development, at least ensuring that the promulgated laws have a beneficial influence on Spain, rather than a harmful one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning to the Spanish government's 1872 annual government work report meeting, the scene was still quite grand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All 208 members of the Chamber of Deputies were present, plus the cabinet ministers and Gao Da, making the meeting scene appear very lively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading the way was, of course, Prime Minister Primo, but his task was to set a tone for the government work report meeting and to leave some space for the ministers of various departments to state their political achievements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Prime Minister Primo, these credits are no longer important. As long as Prime Minister Primo is willing, he can still win in the next cabinet parliamentary election.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, among the 208 members of the Chamber of Deputies, more than half support him and the Progressive Party. Under such circumstances, unless Prime Minister Primo withdraws automatically, it is difficult for the Chamber of Deputies election to be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Respected Your Majesty the King, fellow members. It is an honor to report the annual work report of the Spanish cabinet government for the entire year of 1872 in the capacity of the Spanish Prime Minister on such an occasion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout 1872, the development of all walks of life in Spain was very rapid. According to the estimates of the Department of Livelihood, at the end of 1872, Spain is expected to have a population of 17.45 million, an increase of at least 230,000 compared to the previous year's population.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout last year, our gross national product reached 7.212 billion pesetas, an increase of 8.1% compared to last year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the premise of the growth of the total economic scale, the government's fiscal revenue also reached a new high, approximately 525.9 million pesetas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, our total fiscal expenditure is still greater than the fiscal revenue. The total fiscal expenditure for the entire last year was as high as 557.5 million pesetas, with an annual fiscal deficit of 31.6 million pesetas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As of the end of 1872, our total railway mileage has exceeded 6,900 kilometers, and it is expected to exceed 7,000 kilometers of total railway mileage within three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the latter half of 1868 to the end of 1872, we only used 4 years, and the railway mileage built has already exceeded the total railway mileage built by the previous government in the ten years from the latter half of 1858 to the latter half of 1868.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, we will still attach importance to the construction of Spanish railways and plan to increase Spain's total railway mileage to at least 7,500 kilometers before February 1874.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prime Minister Primo's report was only rough, but Spain's progress in 1872 was very obvious. Almost all aspects had considerable development, and the railway mileage was also increasing at a speed of at least 300 kilometers per year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And according to what Prime Minister Primo said, the total railway mileage will be increased to about 7,500 kilometers before February 1874.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, there is only a little over a year left until February 1874, but the railway mileage that needs to be built exceeds 600 kilometers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is no small test for the cabinet government, but at the same time, if it can be completed, it is also no small political achievement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the five-year plan promulgated by the Spanish government was after the establishment of the cabinet government, the time was calculated together with the establishment of the cabinet government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking about it, it is also normal; if the five-year plan can be completed, the political achievements brought to the cabinet members are absolutely immeasurable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With such great achievements, the cabinet government naturally cannot leave them to the next term; even if there are a few months less time, they must ensure that the five-year plan is completed during their tenure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After completion, even if the results are produced a little later, the credit will not escape from their own palms. But if it is completed in the hands of the next government, the credit will not have much to do with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ministers of the cabinet government are not fools, which is also the reason why the term of the cabinet government is five years, and this development plan is also for five years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This phenomenon happens from time to time in various countries, and Gao Da naturally will not stop it. After all, only when the development plan is practically related to their own political achievements and future prospects will these officials do everything possible to promote the completion of the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What needs to be worried about instead is the situation where the government changes frequently, and the policies promulgated by the previous government cannot be implemented by the next government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the history of Spain, the period of Amadeo's rule and the subsequent Republic period were just like this. Can it be said that all the Prime Ministers of Spain during this period were incompetent? I am afraid not necessarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the biggest problem is that the Spanish government changed too quickly during this period. Every cabinet government often just promulgated laws, and the next cabinet government had already come to power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newly inaugurated cabinet government will certainly not continue the policies of the previous cabinet government; after all, even if such policies produce political achievements, the credit has nothing to do with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some governments even have thoughts and attitudes completely opposite to the previous government; some support reform, some oppose reform, and it would be strange if Spain could develop during this chaotic period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historically, Spain experienced nine cabinet governments during the period of Amadeo's rule. Even excluding the earliest periods of Serrano and Primo's rule, there were still seven cabinet governments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the period of Amadeo's rule over Spain was only two and a half years at most; in two and a half years, there were seven cabinet governments, and the average term of each cabinet government was not even half a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such frequent government changes doomed Amadeo to be unable to rule a stable Spain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this cannot be blamed entirely on Amadeo. After all, before he arrived in Spain, his biggest supporter, Prime Minister Primo, had already been assassinated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is precisely because there was no biggest supporter that led to the frequent changes of the Spanish government during Amadeo's rule; the King did not have much power and naturally could not interfere in the chaotic situation of the government.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Da also officially understood the disadvantages brought about by frequent government changes, so he was quite cautious about government changes and did not even intend to change the Spanish Prime Minister in the short term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it is impossible to change the Prime Minister now. Unless Prime Minister Primo voluntarily withdraws from the election for cabinet Prime Minister, his victory is a matter of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, considering Prime Minister Primo's age, perhaps after the next cabinet government, Prime Minister Primo will no longer have the motivation to run for office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, although the Spanish Prime Minister represents the immense power of being under one person and above ten thousand, it also represents quite heavy responsibilities and obligations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prime Minister Primo's goal is not to maintain the status quo of Spain, but to reform Spain into an advanced and developed European power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above this goal, what the Spanish Prime Minister brings is more of a heavy burden, rather than the joy of possessing immense power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Prime Minister Primo's brief work report, the subsequent meeting was for the ministers of various cabinet departments to report in detail on the work of their respective departments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Da also listened in detail to several departments he was more interested in and had a more detailed understanding of the current status of Spain's development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spain's population data is not just as simple as growing to 17.45 million. From the perspective of the overall population growth rate, Spain's newborn population is constantly increasing, which is a good thing for Spain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least it proves that the efforts of the Spanish government were not in vain, and the burden on the public is also effectively reducing, thereby allowing them to have the mood, time, and energy to have children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It is precisely because of this that the Department of Livelihood estimated Spain's future population growth rate and total population size, expecting that at the beginning of 1875, Spain's total population would have hope of exceeding 18 million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If such a good population growth rate is maintained, Spain even has hope of increasing its total population to over 20 million before 1885 arrives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although such data is only estimated based on the existing population growth rate, it is definitely good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, 1885 is still nearly 30 years away from World War I; if Spain has hope of increasing its population to 20 million in 1885, it naturally also has hope of increasing its population to a level close to 30 million before World War I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this is indeed just an estimate, or rather a beautiful fantasy. Whether Spain's population growth rate can always maintain such a high level is a question worth pondering; the current high population growth does not mean it will be the same in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, considering the policy of encouraging childbirth that the government promulgated not long ago, let alone the time for the population to reach 20 million and 30 million, at least in the next few years, Spain's population is definitely developing in a good direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among the overall population data, what is also worth noting is the increase in immigration numbers. During the period of Queen Isabella, the number of immigrants welcomed by Spain every year was not large, and there was even a large outflow of population every year, heading to other European countries, colonies, and those countries in South America that were previously colonies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in recent years, the scale of immigration to Spain has generally been in an increasing trend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout 1872, Spain welcomed more than 20,000 immigrants, most of whom were immigrants from Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Da's Italian identity is still quite important, at least in the hearts of Italians. Many Italians who cannot survive in Italy also consider Spain when immigrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, it is still a minority after all; more Italians still choose to immigrate outside of Europe; after all, Spain is not much different from Italy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding these immigrants, Gao Da generally maintains a welcoming attitude. First of all, the number of immigrants is not large and cannot have much impact on Spain's overall ethnic ratio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Spaniards remain the main ethnic group of Spain and occupy the majority of Spain's population, Spain does not exclude other ethnic groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, African blacks are impossible. Currently, the discrimination of European whites against blacks is still quite serious, and it is rare to see blacks choosing to immigrate to Europe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, if they immigrate to Europe, not only will they not get a better environment, but they will also be discriminated against by the vast majority of Europeans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some extreme white supremacists will even bully or even massacre blacks unscrupulously; as long as these white people have money and power, the local government generally will not care much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It will take a long time for blacks to obtain true human rights; at least before experiencing the World War, countries around the world are not short of population, and blacks are just labor, labor that does not need to worry about human life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five-thousand-word two-in-one chapter, seeking support!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of this chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",3293,"2026-06-25T09:27:12.995Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","b9ca68bb7d6c5335f7a7f1281a223a2019eeb692c96869d8f34707225f7c47f0","rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-147","rise-of-the-empire-spain-chapter-145",493,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Frise-of-the-empire-spain-cover.jpg"]