Madrid, Jan 14, IRNA ,Spain on Monday called for general election to be held on March 9.
The cabinet approved a decree at a special meeting, and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero met later with King Juan Carlos to have the monarch formally sign it.
Zapatero is seeking a second term after being elected in March 2004 elections.
Zapatero had already announced the new election date last month.
The formal campaign runs for two weeks before the poll, but the two parties have been campaigning for months.
Polls show the Socialists with a lead of 2-3 points over the conservative Popular Party, but statistically the parties are virtually in a dead heat.
Another poll released Monday by the Instituto Opina also showed them statistically tied.
Despite the close race between the parties, Zapatero leads opposition leader Mariano Rajoy in terms of personal approval rating.