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El presidente firmó el decreto, el cual esperamos que sea válido.

El presidente firmó el decreto, el cual esperamos que sea válido.
The president signed the decree, which we hope is valid.
From Lesson 268:Formal relative pronouns (el cual)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about El presidente firmó el decreto, el cual esperamos que sea válido.

Why do we use el cual here instead of just que?
In Spanish, el cual is a formal relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who'. While you could use que here, el cual is often preferred in formal writing after a comma. It also helps avoid confusion because it must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to (masculine singular to match el decreto).
Could I say lo cual instead of el cual?
No, because el cual refers to a specific noun in the sentence (el decreto). You only use the neutral lo cual when 'which' refers back to an entire situation or a general idea, rather than a specific object.
Why is the verb ser in the subjunctive form (sea)?
The verb is in the subjunctive mood because it follows esperamos que (we hope that). Verbs that express hopes, wishes, or desires always force the following verb into the subjunctive.
If the president signed a law (la ley) instead of a decree, how would the sentence change?
Because la ley is feminine, the relative pronoun must change to match it, and so must the adjective at the very end. The sentence would become: El presidente firmó la ley, la cual esperamos que sea válida.

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