Unió Valenciana
Encyclopedia
Valencian Union was a nationalist
political party
in the Valencian Community
, Spain
.
The party had not been represented in the Valencian autonomous parliament
since 1999. It scored 0.95% of the total votes in the 2007 elections
, well below the 5% threshold for representation. The party had councillors on several local councils, obtaining its best results in the Valencia province
.
The party was closely associated with the blaverist
part of Valencianism
by claiming that Valencian language is different from the Catalan language and opposing the concept of Països Catalans and Catalan nationalism
in the Valencian Community. The party also held right-wing stances on issues such as economics. It used to form an electoral alliance with the larger right wing Partido Popular
(PP).
. It particiapted as part of the larger Spain-wide right-wing block Alianza Popular
and won a seat held by Miguel Ramón Izquierdo
. This coalition was kept for the 1983 elections to the Valencian autonomous Parliament.
UV took part by itself in the 1986 general election
. Miguel Ramón Izquierdo retained his seat in the Cortes Generales
. In 1987, it entered the Corts Valencianes
(Valencian regional parliament), winning six of the 89 seats in the parliament. It then doubled its presence at the Cortes Generales when two of its candidates won in the 1989 general election
. One of the seats was won by its founder, Vicente González Lizondo
.
UV reached its height in the Valencian regional elections of 1991
, when it became the third largest party in the Valencian Community, overtaking the traditional third party in the territory (Esquerra Unida del País Valencià
). This election elevated UV to its all time record, 10.5% of the total votes, with this figure remarkably higher in its electoral stronghold, the Valencian
speaking areas in the Valencia province.
. At those elections, UV achieved 7.1% of the total votes and fell back to fourth place among the parties with representation in the Corts Valencianes. But, despite having had remarkably worse results than those of their high point in 1991, UV gained an unprecedented influence at the center of the Valencian political scene, because the results of this election deprived the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party
(PSOE) of an absolute majority. The new situation allowed both opposition parties, the Partido Popular
(PP), which was short of a majority, and UV to agree on a coalition government to oust the PSOE from regional rule after the latter had served 12 consecutive years in office.
From 1995 through to the next regional elections in 1999
, a rising PP manoeuvered to ideologically absorb its smaller government partner UV. At the same time, the party received a fatal blow when leader Vicente González Lizondo died in 1997 after suffering a heart attack while on duty at the Corts. With UV being primarily based on a reactive idea such as blaverism
rather than on a consistent ideological set of policies, the loss of its founder and leader was a setback from which it has not recovered.
Also during these years, a number of medium and prominent UV ranks defected from the party and joined the PP.
Then, in 1999 – at the first elections after UV's support had been crucial in forming a government – the party suffered a serious blow when its vote share of 4.76% (down from 7.1%) was just short of the 5% threshold necessary to win seats at the Corts. In those elections, the PP, which had received the lion's share of former UV votes, achieved an absolute majority in the Corts, thus completing its electoral strategy for hegemony in the Valencian Community
.
UV's vote share further declined in the 2003
and 2007 regional elections
. For the 2004 general election, the party revived its electoral pact with the Partido Popular and obtained a seat in the Spanish Senate
held by José María Chiquillo.
Simultaneously, UV was plagued by a number of schisms of small groups of members who left to form their own parties such as Opció Nacionalista Valenciana, Unió de Progrés per la Comunitat Valenciana, Iniciativa de Progrés per la Comunitat Valenciana, Identidad del Reino de Valencia, Renovació Valencianista or Partido Regional de la Comunidad Valenciana. Some of these, given their very small numbers, have either been readmitted in UV or, alternatively, have joined the PP. The rest went on to form Coalició Valenciana, a party assuming the staunch rightwing image which UV has tried to depart from during the 2000s. Coalició Valenciana reached 0.72% of the total votes at the 2007 regional elections, well below the 5% threshold to enter the regional parliament, but a narrow gap when compared to UV's own 0.95%.
Following acriminious internal elections, Chiquillo quit the party and went on to join the PP, thus generating a severe internal crisis which weakened the party still further. Joaquín Ballester Sanz, a councillor for the town of Paterna
succeeded Chiquillo as the Party leader. At the end of April 2006, Ballester Sanz resigned and in the leadership election in May the mayor of Náquera
, José Manuel Miralles became the new leader.
At the 2007 elections
to the Corts Valencianes, UV achieved 0.95% of the total votes. The party announced that it would not run –neither by itself, nor repeating an electoral pact with the PP– for the 2008 general election
. This decision was dubbed by its proponents as "hard, but necessary for UVs survival as a political party"; the party also said at that time that it was conducting an internal restructuring with the aim of being in better shape for the 2011 regional election
.
appeared together and announced the merger of the projects of UV and the PP, with Miralles urging UV supporters to vote for the PP in the May elections. In response, UV's Secretary General, Luís Melero announced that he would attempt to expel Miralles from the party to prevent it from being absorbed by the PP. Other members and supporters of UV decided to stand in the lists of other parties, mainly Units per València, which absorbed the UV branches of Carcaixent
, Torrent
and others, while Melero himself stood as part of the Units list in Silla
.
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
, 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...
.
The party had not been represented in the Valencian autonomous parliament
Corts Valencianes
The Corts Valencianes are the main legislative body of the Generalitat Valenciana and therefore of the Valencian Community. The main location of the Corts is in the Palace of Benicarló in Valencia; however it can meet at any location in Valencian territory. The Corts has its origins in bodies...
since 1999. It scored 0.95% of the total votes in the 2007 elections
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2007
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2007 were the most recent democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament and were held on 27 May of that year...
, well below the 5% threshold for representation. The party had councillors on several local councils, obtaining its best results in the Valencia province
Valencia (province)
Valencia or València is a province of Spain, in the central part of the Valencian Community.It is bordered by the provinces of Alicante, Albacete, Cuenca, Teruel, Castellón, and the Mediterranean Sea...
.
The party was closely associated with the blaverist
Blaverism
Blaverism is a body of ideas in the Valencian Community, Spain that emerged with the Spanish transition to democracy after the death of Francisco Franco, and characterised by its opposition to Joan Fuster's book Nosaltres, els valencians , which revived the concept of Països Catalans which...
part of Valencianism
Valencianism
Valencian nationalism or Valencianism is a political movement in the Valencian Community, one of the Autonomous Communities of Spain.It advocates to reach the highest level of self-government, or independence itself, for the Valencian Country....
by claiming that Valencian language is different from the Catalan language and opposing the concept of Països Catalans and Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism
Catalan nationalism or Catalanism , is a political movement advocating for either further political autonomy or full independence of Catalonia....
in the Valencian Community. The party also held right-wing stances on issues such as economics. It used to form an electoral alliance with the larger right wing Partido Popular
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...
(PP).
Early years and prime (1982-1991)
It was formed on 30 August 1982 with the stated purpose of "defending Valencian identity" and ran for the first time in the Spanish general election, 1982Spanish general election, 1982
General elections were held in Spain on 28 October 1982.PSOE and PSC presented two different lists of candidates: with the PSOE contesting most of Spain and the PSC only standing in Catalonia...
. It particiapted as part of the larger Spain-wide right-wing block Alianza Popular
Popular Alliance (Spain)
The People's Alliance was a electoral coalition, and later a political party, founded in 1976 by Manuel Fraga along with six other former Francoist ministers.- History :...
and won a seat held by Miguel Ramón Izquierdo
Miguel Ramón Izquierdo
Miguel Ramón Izquierdo was a Spanish politician who served as the last mayor of Valencia in the Franco era and the first in the modern democratic era.-Early carer and mayoral term:Izquierdo was born in Valencia....
. This coalition was kept for the 1983 elections to the Valencian autonomous Parliament.
UV took part by itself in the 1986 general election
Spanish general election, 1986
General elections were held in Spain on 23 June 1986. In this election, the Communist Party of Spain merged with other minor left parties to form the coalition Izquierda Unida; in Catalonia they ran as the Catalan Left Union. Similarly, the People's Alliance merged with two other conservative...
. Miguel Ramón Izquierdo retained his seat in the Cortes Generales
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 1987, it entered the Corts Valencianes
Corts Valencianes
The Corts Valencianes are the main legislative body of the Generalitat Valenciana and therefore of the Valencian Community. The main location of the Corts is in the Palace of Benicarló in Valencia; however it can meet at any location in Valencian territory. The Corts has its origins in bodies...
(Valencian regional parliament), winning six of the 89 seats in the parliament. It then doubled its presence at the Cortes Generales when two of its candidates won in the 1989 general election
Spanish general election, 1989
-Results:-External links:**...
. One of the seats was won by its founder, Vicente González Lizondo
Vicente González Lizondo
Vicente González Lizondo was a Spanish politician and co-founder of the regional party Valencian Union -Early life:...
.
UV reached its height in the Valencian regional elections of 1991
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1991
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1991 were the third democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy and were held on 26 May of that year...
, when it became the third largest party in the Valencian Community, overtaking the traditional third party in the territory (Esquerra Unida del País Valencià
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...
). This election elevated UV to its all time record, 10.5% of the total votes, with this figure remarkably higher in its electoral stronghold, the Valencian
Valencian
Valencian is the traditional and official name of the Catalan language in the Valencian Community. There are dialectical differences from standard Catalan, and under the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua has been established as its regulator...
speaking areas in the Valencia province.
| UV's MPs in the Valencian autonomous Parliament | |||
| Constituency / Year | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Castellón Castellón (province) Castellón or Castelló is a province in the northern part of the Valencian Community, Spain. It is bordered by the provinces of Valencia to the south, Teruel to the west, Tarragona to the north, and by the Mediterranean Sea to the east. The western side of the province is in the mountainous... |
0 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 6 | 4 | |
| TOTAL | 6 | 7 | 5 |
Death of González Lizondo and decline (1995-to date)
The turning point of UV's history took place in the regional elections of 1995Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1995
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1995 were the fourth democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy and were held on 28 May of that year...
. At those elections, UV achieved 7.1% of the total votes and fell back to fourth place among the parties with representation in the Corts Valencianes. But, despite having had remarkably worse results than those of their high point in 1991, UV gained an unprecedented influence at the center of the Valencian political scene, because the results of this election deprived 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...
(PSOE) of an absolute majority. The new situation allowed both opposition parties, the Partido Popular
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...
(PP), which was short of a majority, and UV to agree on a coalition government to oust the PSOE from regional rule after the latter had served 12 consecutive years in office.
From 1995 through to the next regional elections in 1999
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1999
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 1999 were the fifth democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy and were held on 13 June of that year...
, a rising PP manoeuvered to ideologically absorb its smaller government partner UV. At the same time, the party received a fatal blow when leader Vicente González Lizondo died in 1997 after suffering a heart attack while on duty at the Corts. With UV being primarily based on a reactive idea such as blaverism
Blaverism
Blaverism is a body of ideas in the Valencian Community, Spain that emerged with the Spanish transition to democracy after the death of Francisco Franco, and characterised by its opposition to Joan Fuster's book Nosaltres, els valencians , which revived the concept of Països Catalans which...
rather than on a consistent ideological set of policies, the loss of its founder and leader was a setback from which it has not recovered.
Also during these years, a number of medium and prominent UV ranks defected from the party and joined the PP.
Then, in 1999 – at the first elections after UV's support had been crucial in forming a government – the party suffered a serious blow when its vote share of 4.76% (down from 7.1%) was just short of the 5% threshold necessary to win seats at the Corts. In those elections, the PP, which had received the lion's share of former UV votes, achieved an absolute majority in the Corts, thus completing its electoral strategy for hegemony in the Valencian Community
Valencian Community
The Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
.
UV's vote share further declined in the 2003
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2003
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2003 were the sixth democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, since the Spanish transition to democracy and were held on 25 May of that year...
and 2007 regional elections
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2007
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2007 were the most recent democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament and were held on 27 May of that year...
. For the 2004 general election, the party revived its electoral pact with the Partido Popular and obtained a seat in the Spanish 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...
held by José María Chiquillo.
Simultaneously, UV was plagued by a number of schisms of small groups of members who left to form their own parties such as Opció Nacionalista Valenciana, Unió de Progrés per la Comunitat Valenciana, Iniciativa de Progrés per la Comunitat Valenciana, Identidad del Reino de Valencia, Renovació Valencianista or Partido Regional de la Comunidad Valenciana. Some of these, given their very small numbers, have either been readmitted in UV or, alternatively, have joined the PP. The rest went on to form Coalició Valenciana, a party assuming the staunch rightwing image which UV has tried to depart from during the 2000s. Coalició Valenciana reached 0.72% of the total votes at the 2007 regional elections, well below the 5% threshold to enter the regional parliament, but a narrow gap when compared to UV's own 0.95%.
Following acriminious internal elections, Chiquillo quit the party and went on to join the PP, thus generating a severe internal crisis which weakened the party still further. Joaquín Ballester Sanz, a councillor for the town of Paterna
Paterna
Paterna is a municipality in the province of Valencia in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is located northeast of the comarca of La Huerta de Valencia, 5 km northwest of Valencia, and on the left bank of the river Turia...
succeeded Chiquillo as the Party leader. At the end of April 2006, Ballester Sanz resigned and in the leadership election in May the mayor of Náquera
Náquera
Náquera is a municipality in the comarca of Camp de Túria in the Valencian Community, Spain.The town is situated in the heart of the Serra Calderona, a natural protected park in Valencia.-External links:* *...
, José Manuel Miralles became the new leader.
At the 2007 elections
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2007
The Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2007 were the most recent democratic elections to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament and were held on 27 May of that year...
to the Corts Valencianes, UV achieved 0.95% of the total votes. The party announced that it would not run –neither by itself, nor repeating an electoral pact with the PP– for the 2008 general election
Spanish general election, 2008
Legislative elections for the Spanish Cortes Generales were held on March 9, 2008. The elections were for 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, and the 208 directly elected seats in the upper house, the Senate, determining the Prime Minister of Spain...
. This decision was dubbed by its proponents as "hard, but necessary for UVs survival as a political party"; the party also said at that time that it was conducting an internal restructuring with the aim of being in better shape for the 2011 regional election
Elections to the Corts Valencianes, 2011
The 2011 elections to the Corts Valencianes were the eighth elections to the Corts Valencianes, the regional parliament for the Spanish autonomous community of the Valencian Community. The elections were held on 22 May 2011 to elect the 99 members of the Corts in three electoral districts...
.
2011 and possible merger with PP
In 2011, the party announced that it would not contest either the regional or local elections due to a lack of funds and activists. This was the first time since its foundation that UV had not taken part in local or regional elections. On 10 April 2011, party leader Miralles and Valencian President Francisco CampsFrancisco Camps
Francisco Enrique Camps Ortiz is a Spanish politician belonging to the Partido Popular who served as President of the Generalitat Valenciana, the Valencian regional administration, in the period 2003-2011.-Biography:...
appeared together and announced the merger of the projects of UV and the PP, with Miralles urging UV supporters to vote for the PP in the May elections. In response, UV's Secretary General, Luís Melero announced that he would attempt to expel Miralles from the party to prevent it from being absorbed by the PP. Other members and supporters of UV decided to stand in the lists of other parties, mainly Units per València, which absorbed the UV branches of Carcaixent
Carcaixent
Carcaixent is a town and municipality in the province of Valencia, eastern Spain, with c. 20,000 inhabitants. Its origins go back to prehistoric Iberian and Roman times, with some remainders in its area. It is located in the Ribera Alta comarca, 40 km south of the provincial capital...
, Torrent
Torrent
Torrent may refer to:Animals:* Torrent Duck, a species of the family Anatidae* Torrent frog, various unrelated frogs* Torrent salamander, a family of salamanders* Torrent Robin, a bird species* Torrent fishComputers and Internet:...
and others, while Melero himself stood as part of the Units list in Silla
Silla
Silla was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, and one of the longest sustained dynasties in...
.