Spanish general election, 2012
Encyclopedia
A legislative election for the Cortes Generales
in Spain
was held on 20 November 2011. The elections were for 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, which will determine who becomes the Prime Minister of Spain
. Elections were also held for the 208 directly elected seats in the upper house, the Senate
. The elections were commonly referred to as 20-N throughout the electoral campaign.
The People's Party
, led by Mariano Rajoy
won an absolute majority in the elections, while the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
suffered their worst defeat since transition to democracy
.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
, who announced that he would not run for a third term. The deputy prime minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba
was the party's candidate for Prime Minister, as he was the only candidate in the leadership election in his party. The other major national party, People's Party
, was led by Mariano Rajoy
for the third successive election.
, with Ceuta
and Melilla
electing one member each using plurality voting.
, the boundaries of the electoral districts must be the same as the provinces of Spain and, under Article 141, this can only be altered with the approval of Congress.
The apportionment of seats to provinces follows the largest remainder method
over the resident population ("Padrón") with a minimum of two seats (cf. Art. 162 of the Electoral Law).
in a secret ballot
. The electoral system used is closed list
proportional representation
with seats allocated using the D'Hondt method
. Only lists which poll 3% of the total vote (which includes votes "en blanco", i.e., for none of the above) can be considered. Under articles 12 and 68 of the constitution, the minimum voting age is 18.
Lastly, as in most countries (Scandinavia being an exception), the minimum seat requirement generates malapportionment i.e, the fact that a Soria voter weights 4 times more than a Madrid voter (using official 2010 population data).
The Spanish constitution is clear in that respect. Article 68 first mandates districts to be pegged on provinces, then to have at least one seat each and then to apportion seats proportionally which the current minimum of two clearly violates.
In 2011, the French constitutional court declared the same unwritten rule unconstitutional after decades of usage.
(Tribunal Supremo), if they are judged to have violated Article 9 of that law which prohibits parties which are perceived to discriminate against people on the basis of ideology, religion, beliefs, nationality, race, gender or sexual orientation (Article 9a), foment or organise violence as a means of achieving political objectives (Article 9b) or support or compliment the actions of "terrorist organisations" (Article 9c). Article 55, Section 2 of the 1985 electoral law also disqualifies director generals or equivalent leaders of state monopolies and public bodies such as the Spanish state broadcaster RTVE. Lastly, following changes to the electoral law which took effect for the 2007 municipal elections, candidates' lists must be composed of at least 40% of candidates of either gender and each group of five candidates must contain at least two males and two females.
Presenting candidates
Parties and coalitions of different parties which have registered with the Electoral Commission can present lists of candidates (Article 44, 1985 electoral law). Groups of electors which have not registered with the commission can also present lists, provided that they obtain the signatures of 1% of registered electors in a particular district (Article 169).
Currently, the autonomous regions that hold the largest representation of seats in Congress are Andalusia
, with 61 seats; Catalonia
, with 47 seats; and Madrid
, with 35. Historically, these three autonomous regions have played a key role in determining the final outcome of the national elections.
The two main national parties, PP and PSOE, since 2000, have held a combined total of at least 300 seats. Convergència i Unió is the party with the third highest number of seats, 10 at the 2004 and 2008 general elections.
At the 2008 General elections the only two other nationally represented parties which won seats were the United Left
and the Union, Progress and Democracy
. A number of other regional parties also won seats, which were Convergence and Union and Republican Left in Catalonia
, the Basque Nationalist Party
in the Basque Country
, the Galician Nationalist Bloc in Galicia, the Canarian Coalition
in the Canary Islands
and the Navarrese People's Union
and Nafarroa Bai
in Navarre
.
At a local level there are many other parties, but none of them are considered to be of significance at a national level. This does not mean that they play a small role. Some of these parties are considered key strategic players at a national level in the event of a hung parliament
(where no single party wins a majority of seats). However, not all parties are able to run for elections due to a change in the law. For an updated list please see the following link.
Incumbent Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he would not seek a third term in office, thus forcing the Socialist Party to hold a primary to choose a new leader after 22 May local elections. This was also read as problematic for Spain's efforts to curb its deficit amidst the European sovereign debt crisis. His austerity measures had been appreciated by investors which led to Spanish bond yields falling despite neighbour Portugal's bond yields soaring.
in the late 1970s. Incoming prime minister Mariano Rajoy acknowledged the difficult times Spain was facing, with its government debt
yields at a record high. He said, "There will be no miracles. We haven't promised any."
Source: Ministerio del Interior - Elecciones Generales 2011
Cortes Generales
The Cortes Generales is the legislature of Spain. It is a bicameral parliament, composed of the Congress of Deputies and the Senate . The Cortes has power to enact any law and to amend the constitution...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
was held on 20 November 2011. The elections were for 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, which will determine who becomes the Prime Minister of Spain
Prime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
. Elections were also held for the 208 directly elected seats in the upper house, the Senate
Spanish Senate
The Senate of Spain is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the . It is made up of 264 members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 56 appointed by the regional legislatures. All senators serve four-year terms, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time.The last election...
. The elections were commonly referred to as 20-N throughout the electoral campaign.
The People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, led by Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy Brey is a Spanish People's Party politician and is the Prime Minister-elect since 20 November 2011. He will be sworn into office in mid-December 2011....
won an absolute majority in the elections, while the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
suffered their worst defeat since transition to democracy
Spanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
.
Background
The outgoing Spanish government was led by Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Spain
The President of the Government of Spain , sometimes known in English as the Prime Minister of Spain, is the head of Government of Spain. The current office is established under the Constitution of 1978...
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is a member of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . He was elected for two terms as Prime Minister of Spain, in the 2004 and 2008 general elections. On 2 April 2011 he announced he will not stand for re-election in 2012...
, who announced that he would not run for a third term. The deputy prime minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba
Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba is a Spanish politician and a leading figure in the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party . He served in the government of Spain as Minister of Education from 1992 to 1993 and as Minister of the Interior from 2006 to 2011; in addition, he was First Deputy Prime Minister from...
was the party's candidate for Prime Minister, as he was the only candidate in the leadership election in his party. The other major national party, People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, was led by Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy Brey is a Spanish People's Party politician and is the Prime Minister-elect since 20 November 2011. He will be sworn into office in mid-December 2011....
for the third successive election.
Overview
The Congress of Deputies consists of 350 members, elected in 50 multi-member districts using the D'Hondt methodD'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
, with Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
and Melilla
Melilla
Melilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
electing one member each using plurality voting.
Apportionment
Under Article 68 of the Spanish constitutionSpanish Constitution of 1978
-Structure of the State:The Constitution recognizes the existence of nationalities and regions . Preliminary Title As a result, Spain is now composed entirely of 17 Autonomous Communities and two autonomous cities with varying degrees of autonomy, to the extent that, even though the Constitution...
, the boundaries of the electoral districts must be the same as the provinces of Spain and, under Article 141, this can only be altered with the approval of Congress.
The apportionment of seats to provinces follows the largest remainder method
Largest remainder method
The largest remainder method is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems...
over the resident population ("Padrón") with a minimum of two seats (cf. Art. 162 of the Electoral Law).
Electoral system
Voting is on the basis of universal suffrageUniversal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
in a secret ballot
Secret ballot
The secret ballot is a voting method in which a voter's choices in an election or a referendum are anonymous. The key aim is to ensure the voter records a sincere choice by forestalling attempts to influence the voter by intimidation or bribery. The system is one means of achieving the goal of...
. The electoral system used is closed list
Closed list
Closed list describes the variant of party-list proportional representation where voters can only vote for political parties as a whole and thus have no influence on the party-supplied order in which party candidates are elected...
proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
with seats allocated using the D'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
. Only lists which poll 3% of the total vote (which includes votes "en blanco", i.e., for none of the above) can be considered. Under articles 12 and 68 of the constitution, the minimum voting age is 18.
Critcism
Apportionment is incoherent as the "Padrón" includes non voting foreigners but excludes voting citizens living abroad. Furthermore, apportionment and the election itself use different rules. Now, given the well known deficiencies of the largest remainders method, D'Hondt should be used in both instances.Lastly, as in most countries (Scandinavia being an exception), the minimum seat requirement generates malapportionment i.e, the fact that a Soria voter weights 4 times more than a Madrid voter (using official 2010 population data).
The Spanish constitution is clear in that respect. Article 68 first mandates districts to be pegged on provinces, then to have at least one seat each and then to apportion seats proportionally which the current minimum of two clearly violates.
In 2011, the French constitutional court declared the same unwritten rule unconstitutional after decades of usage.
Eligibility
Article 67.3 of the Spanish Constitution prohibits dual membership of both chambers of the Cortes or of the Cortes and regional assemblies, meaning that candidates must resign from regional assemblies if elected. Article 70 also makes active judges, magistrates, public defenders, serving military personnel, active police officers and members of constitutional and electoral tribunals ineligible. Additionally, under Article 11 of the Political Parties Law, June 2002 (Ley Orgánica 6/2002, de 27 de junio, de Partidos Políticos), parties and individual candidates may be prevented from standing by the Spanish Supreme CourtSupreme Court of Spain
The Supreme Court of Spain is the highest court in Spain for all matters not pertaining to the Spanish Constitution. The court which meets in the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid, consists of a president and an indeterminate number of magistrates appointed to the five chambers of the...
(Tribunal Supremo), if they are judged to have violated Article 9 of that law which prohibits parties which are perceived to discriminate against people on the basis of ideology, religion, beliefs, nationality, race, gender or sexual orientation (Article 9a), foment or organise violence as a means of achieving political objectives (Article 9b) or support or compliment the actions of "terrorist organisations" (Article 9c). Article 55, Section 2 of the 1985 electoral law also disqualifies director generals or equivalent leaders of state monopolies and public bodies such as the Spanish state broadcaster RTVE. Lastly, following changes to the electoral law which took effect for the 2007 municipal elections, candidates' lists must be composed of at least 40% of candidates of either gender and each group of five candidates must contain at least two males and two females.
Presenting candidates
Parties and coalitions of different parties which have registered with the Electoral Commission can present lists of candidates (Article 44, 1985 electoral law). Groups of electors which have not registered with the commission can also present lists, provided that they obtain the signatures of 1% of registered electors in a particular district (Article 169).
Currently, the autonomous regions that hold the largest representation of seats in Congress are Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, with 61 seats; Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, with 47 seats; and Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, with 35. Historically, these three autonomous regions have played a key role in determining the final outcome of the national elections.
The two main national parties, PP and PSOE, since 2000, have held a combined total of at least 300 seats. Convergència i Unió is the party with the third highest number of seats, 10 at the 2004 and 2008 general elections.
Political parties
Spain has more than 50 registered national parties, but fewer than 10 are considered significant. Since 1982, only 2 political parties have won in Spanish national elections:- Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE): The Spanish Socialist Workers' PartySpanish Socialist Workers' PartyThe Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
, a social-democraticSocial democracySocial democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
party; - Partido Popular (PP): The People's PartyPeople's Party (Spain)The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
, a liberalLiberalismLiberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
conservativeConservatismConservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
party.
At the 2008 General elections the only two other nationally represented parties which won seats were the United Left
United Left (Spain)
The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain...
and the Union, Progress and Democracy
Union, Progress and Democracy
Union, Progress and Democracy is a Spanish political party founded in September 2007.It is a progressivist party, between social democracy and social liberalism. One of its goals is to build a federal system for Spain and European Union, with clear responsibilities distributed among local...
. A number of other regional parties also won seats, which were Convergence and Union and Republican Left in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, the Basque Nationalist Party
Basque Nationalist Party
The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country...
in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, the Galician Nationalist Bloc in Galicia, the Canarian Coalition
Canarian Coalition
The Canarian Coalition , abbreviated to CC, is a Canarian nationalist and liberal political party in the Canary Islands of Spain. The party aim is for greater autonomy for the islands, but short of independence. The party has governed the Canary Islands since 1993...
in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
and the Navarrese People's Union
Navarrese People's Union
The Navarrese People's Union , abbreviated to UPN, is a regional conservative political party in Navarre, Spain. Until 2008, it was a fraternal party of the People's Party , acting as the latter's Navarrese branch....
and Nafarroa Bai
Nafarroa Bai
Nafarroa Bai is a Navarrese coalition of both left and right wing Basque nationalist parties which was created for the 2004 Spanish General election....
in Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
.
At a local level there are many other parties, but none of them are considered to be of significance at a national level. This does not mean that they play a small role. Some of these parties are considered key strategic players at a national level in the event of a hung parliament
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
(where no single party wins a majority of seats). However, not all parties are able to run for elections due to a change in the law. For an updated list please see the following link.
Incumbent Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said he would not seek a third term in office, thus forcing the Socialist Party to hold a primary to choose a new leader after 22 May local elections. This was also read as problematic for Spain's efforts to curb its deficit amidst the European sovereign debt crisis. His austerity measures had been appreciated by investors which led to Spanish bond yields falling despite neighbour Portugal's bond yields soaring.
Opinion polls
Data from Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) polls.| Date | PSOE Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in... |
PP People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... |
IU United Left (Spain) The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain... |
CiU | ERC | PNV Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
BNG | CC Canarian Coalition The Canarian Coalition , abbreviated to CC, is a Canarian nationalist and liberal political party in the Canary Islands of Spain. The party aim is for greater autonomy for the islands, but short of independence. The party has governed the Canary Islands since 1993... |
NaBai Nafarroa Bai Nafarroa Bai is a Navarrese coalition of both left and right wing Basque nationalist parties which was created for the 2004 Spanish General election.... |
UPyD Union, Progress and Democracy Union, Progress and Democracy is a Spanish political party founded in September 2007.It is a progressivist party, between social democracy and social liberalism. One of its goals is to build a federal system for Spain and European Union, with clear responsibilities distributed among local... |
Others | None of the above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 2008 | 43.6% | 37.6% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.1% | — | — | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.6% |
| July 2008 | 39.5% | 39.3% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 0.9% | — | — | 2.5% | 4.0% | 3.1% |
| October 2008 | 39.7% | 39.7% | 4.3% | 3.8% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.9% | — | — | 2.9% | 4.1% | 2.1% |
| January 2009 | 39.7% | 39.5% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.0% | — | — | 3.1% | 4.3% | 2.1% |
| April 2009 | 40.8% | 40.0% | 4.5% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 1.0% | 0.6% | — | — | 2.9% | 3.8% | 1.5% |
| July 2009 | 39.0% | 40.2% | 4.6% | 3.4% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.5% | — | 3.2% | 3.1% | 2.4% |
| October 2009 | 37.7% | 41.0% | 4.7% | 3.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.5% | — | 3.7% | 3.2% | 1.9% |
| January 2010 | 36.2% | 40.0% | 6.1% | 3.7% | 1.3% | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.9% | — | 4.4% | 3.5% | 2.1% |
| April 2010 | 38.0% | 39.5% | 5.8% | 3.6% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.6% | — | 3.3% | 3.7% | 2.5% |
| July 2010 | 34.9% | 41.2% | 5.4% | 4.1% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.4% | — | 3.8% | 4.0% | 2.4% |
| October 2010 | 34.3% | 42.2% | 6.2% | 3.5% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.7% | — | 4.1% | 3.2% | 1.1% |
| January 2011 | 34.0% | 44.1% | 5.7% | 3.9% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.5% | — | 2.9% | 3.5% | 2.5% |
| April 2011 | 33.4% | 43.8% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 2.2% |
| July 2011 | 36.0% | 43.1% | 5.1% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 3.0% | 4.3% | 2.1% |
| November 2011 | 29.9% | 46.6% | 6.2% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 0.6% | — | 2.9% | 3.6% | 2.0% |
Results
As widely expected, the People's Party made significant gains in the elections and secured an absolute majority, with the incumbent Spanish Socialist Workers' Party conceding before complete results were confirmed. They experienced their worst defeat since the transition to democracySpanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
in the late 1970s. Incoming prime minister Mariano Rajoy acknowledged the difficult times Spain was facing, with its government debt
Government debt
Government debt is money owed by a central government. In the US, "government debt" may also refer to the debt of a municipal or local government...
yields at a record high. He said, "There will be no miracles. We haven't promised any."
| Political Party | | Congress | | Senate Spanish Senate The Senate of Spain is the upper house of Spain's parliament, the . It is made up of 264 members: 208 elected by popular vote, and 56 appointed by the regional legislatures. All senators serve four-year terms, though regional legislatures may recall their appointees at any time.The last election... |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Votes | % | +/- | Deputies | +/- | Senators | +/- | ||
| People's Party (PP) People's Party (Spain) The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship... |
10,830,693 | 44.62% | 4.68% | 186 | 32 | 136 | 35 | |
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Spanish Socialist Workers' Party The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in... |
6,973,880 | 28.73% | 15.14% | 110 | 59 | 48 | 40 | |
| United Left (IU) United Left (Spain) The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain... |
1,680,810 | 6.92% | 3.15% | 11 | 9 | - | - | |
| Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) Union, Progress and Democracy Union, Progress and Democracy is a Spanish political party founded in September 2007.It is a progressivist party, between social democracy and social liberalism. One of its goals is to build a federal system for Spain and European Union, with clear responsibilities distributed among local... |
1,140,242 | 4.69% | 3.50% | 5 | 4 | - | - | |
| Convergence and Union (CiU) | 1,014,263 | 4.17% | 1.14% | 16 | 6 | 9 | 5 | |
| Amaiur Amaiur Amaiur is a left-wing Basque nationalist and separatist political coalition from the Southern Basque Country in Spain, which encompasses the autonomous communities of the Basque Country and Navarre... |
333,628 | 1.37% | 1.37% | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | |
| Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Basque Nationalist Party The Basque National Party is the largest and oldest Basque nationalist party. It is currently the largest political party in the Basque Autonomous Community also with a minor presence in Navarre and a marginal one in the French Basque Country... |
323,517 | 1.33% | 0.14% | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | |
| Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) - Reagrupament Reagrupament Reagrupament or Reagrupament Independentista is a political party in Catalonia, Spain, formally constituted on 3 October 2009. It is an umbrella group for various supporters of Catalan independence and the creation of a sovereign state for Catalonia. Currently, it has no representation in the... - Catalunya Sí |
255,961 | 1.05% | 0.11% | 3 | - | - | ||
| Catalan Agreement of Progress Catalan Agreement of Progress The Catalan Agreement of Progress is a union of center-left and left wing and Catalan political parties in Catalonia. The union consists of three parties: Socialists' Party of Catalonia , Initiative for Catalonia Greens and United and Alternative Left... (PSC Socialists' Party of Catalonia The Socialists' Party of Catalonia is a social-democratic political party in Catalonia, Spain resulting from the merge of two parties PSC Reagrupament led by Josep Pallach i Carolà and PSC Comgres. It is the Catalan referent of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , and its Aranese section is... -ICV Initiative for Catalonia Greens Initiative for Catalonia Greens is a political party in Catalonia, Spain. It was formed as a merger of Iniciativa per Catalunya and Els Verds. IC had been an alliance led by Partit Socialista Unificat de Catalunya and was the equivalent of Izquierda Unida in Catalonia... -EUA United and Alternative Left United and Alternative Left is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. EUiA has 4000 members and it is the Catalan correspondent of the Spain-wide United Left .... ) |
7 | 5 | ||||||
| Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) | 183,279 | 0.75% | 2 | |||||
| Canarian Coalition (CC-NC-PNC) Canarian Coalition The Canarian Coalition , abbreviated to CC, is a Canarian nationalist and liberal political party in the Canary Islands of Spain. The party aim is for greater autonomy for the islands, but short of independence. The party has governed the Canary Islands since 1993... |
143,550 | 0.59% | 2 | 1 | ||||
| Coalició Compromís Coalició Compromís Coalició Compromís , literally Coalition Commitment, is an electoral alliance in the Valencian Community in Spain. The parties involved include the Valencian Nationalist Bloc, the left-wing Valencian People's Initiative, and ecologist parties... |
125,150 | 0.51% | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Asturian Forum (FAC) Asturian Forum The Asturian Forum , abbreviated to FAC, is a centre-right political party in the autonomous community of Asturias, Spain. It was founded in January 2011 by former Deputy Prime Minister Francisco Álvarez Cascos, who left the People's Party after failing to be selected as the party's candidate for... |
99,173 | 0.40% | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Geroa Bai Geroa Bai Geroa Bai is a political coalition created for the Spanish general election, 2011. It includes the Basque Nationalist Party , Atarrabia Taldea and the Zabaltzen partnership... (Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Atarrabia Taldea, Zabaltzen) |
42,411 | 0.17% | 1 | 1 | ||||
| TOTAL (turnout 71.69%) | 92.92% | N/A | 350 | 208 | ||||
Source: Ministerio del Interior - Elecciones Generales 2011