Sergio Ramírez, sole candidate for seat L of the RAE

Published on May 24, 2026 | Translated from Spanish

The call to occupy chair L of the Royal Spanish Academy was published in the BOE on April 6, 2026. The reading of merits of the Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez was held in an extraordinary plenary session on May 14 in León. If elected this Thursday, he will occupy the place left vacant by Mario Vargas Llosa after his death in 2025.

photorealistic cinematic scene of a wooden lectern with a glowing laptop showing a digital document, a silver fountain pen resting on an open leather-bound book, a marble bust of Mario Vargas Llosa in soft shadow, empty red velvet chairs arranged in a semicircle, warm golden light streaming through tall arched windows, dust particles floating in the air, polished wooden floor reflecting light, solemn academic atmosphere, ultra-detailed textures, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, architectural symmetry, high-end editorial photography style, technical illustration with precise depth of field

The digital process of academic selection at the RAE 🖥️

The RAE manages its candidacies through a computer system that records merits, publications, and votes. On this occasion, with Sergio Ramírez being the only candidate, the process is simplified: academics access a secure platform to cast their vote. The technological infrastructure ensures data encryption and transparency of the scrutiny, although the final decision depends on a simple majority of the members present at the plenary session.

A candidate without competition in the vote ☕

Sergio Ramírez arrives at the vote as the sole applicant, which eliminates the excitement of a close electoral contest. Academics could save themselves the coffee of deliberations, as the result seems a foregone conclusion. Although at the RAE you never know: perhaps some member will propose a debate on the use of the accent mark in solo to prolong the day and justify the trip to León.