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1999 European Parliament election in Spain

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An election was held in Spain on 13 June 1999 as part of the concurrent EU-wide election to the 5th European Parliament. All 64 seats allocated to the Spanish constituency as per the Treaty of Amsterdam were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all across Spain.

Registered33,840,432 Increase 7.2%
Turnout21,334,948 (63.0%)
Increase 3.9 pp
Quick facts All 64 Spanish seats in the European Parliament, Registered ...
1999 European Parliament election in Spain
← 1994
13 June 1999
2004 →
All 64 Spanish seats in the European Parliament
Opinion polls
Registered33,840,432 Increase 7.2%
Turnout21,334,948 (63.0%)
Increase 3.9 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Loyola de Palacio Rosa Díez Alonso Puerta
Party PP PSOE–p IU–EUiA
Alliance EPP (EPP–ED) PES GUE/NGL
Leader since 22 April 1999 22 March 1999 2 March 1994
Leader's seat Spain Spain Spain
Last election 28 seats, 40.1% 22 seats, 30.8% 9 seats, 11.9%[a]
Seats won 27 24 4
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 2 Decrease 5
Popular vote 8,410,993 7,477,823 1,221,566
Percentage 39.7% 35.3% 5.8%
Swing Decrease 0.4 pp Increase 4.5 pp Decrease 6.1 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Pere Esteve Isidoro Sánchez Josu Ortuondo
Party CiU CE CN–EP
Alliance ELDR
EPP (EPP–ED)		 ELDR
ERA (Greens/EFA)		 Greens/EFA
Leader since 16 November 1998 1999 17 April 1999
Leader's seat Spain Spain Spain
Last election 3 seats, 4.7% 0 seats, 2.2%[b] 2 seats, 2.8%[c]
Seats won 3 2 2
Seat change Steady 0 Increase 2 Steady 0
Popular vote 937,687 677,094 613,968
Percentage 4.4% 3.2% 2.9%
Swing Decrease 0.3 pp Increase 1.0 pp Increase 0.1 pp
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The ruling People's Party (PP)—which for the first time contested a nationwide election in Spain while in government—emerged as the largest political force in the country, albeit with a diminished victory margin than in the previous election held in 1994. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), in opposition for the first time since 1982, recovered some ground from its previous result. Overall, the PP lead decreased from 9.3 to 4.4 percentage points, though this was an increase from the 1.2 points between both parties in the 1996 general election. United Left (IU) lost half of its votes and parliamentary representation amid internal divisions—Initiative for Catalonia (IC) and the New Left (NI) had split from the larger alliance in 1997—policy differences over their relationship with the PSOE and the deteriorating health condition of IU's maverick leader, Julio Anguita.

Overview

Electoral system

Voting for the European Parliament in Spain was based on universal suffrage, which comprised all Spanish nationals and resident non-national European citizens over 18 years of age with full political rights, provided that they had not been deprived of the right to vote by a final sentence, nor were legally incapacitated.[1]

64 European Parliament seats were allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Amsterdam.[2] All were elected in a single multi-member constituency—comprising the entire national territory—using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with no electoral threshold.[3] The use of this electoral method resulted in an effective threshold depending on district magnitude and vote distribution.[4]

The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacant seats; instead, any vacancies arising after the proclamation of candidates and during the legislative term were filled by the next candidates on the party lists or, when required, by designated substitutes.[5]

Outgoing delegation

Main article: List of members of the European Parliament for Spain, 1994–1999

The table below shows the composition of the Spanish delegation in the chamber at the time of the election call.[6]

More information Groups, Parties ...
Delegation composition in May 1999
Groups Parties MEPs
Seats Total
European People's Party PP 26 29
UPN 2
UDC 1
Party of European Socialists PSOE 21 21
European United Left–Nordic Green Left IU 8 9
IC–V 1
European Radical Alliance PAR 1 3
CG 1
INDEP 1[d]
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party CDC 2 2
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Parties and candidates

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within 10 days of the election call. In order to be entitled to run, parties, federations, alliances and groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least 15,000 registered electors; this requirement could be lifted and replaced through the signature of at least 50 elected officials—deputies, senators, MEPs or members from the legislative assemblies of autonomous communities or from local city councils. Electors and elected officials were disallowed from signing for more than one list.[7]

Below is a list of the main parties and alliances which contested the election:

More information Candidacy, Parties and alliances ...
Candidacy Parties and
alliances		 Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Ref.
Vote % Seats
PP
List
 Loyola de Palacio Conservatism
Christian democracy		 40.1% 28 [8]
PSOE–p
List
 Rosa Díez Social democracy 30.8% 22 [9]
[10]
IU–EUiA
List
 Alonso Puerta Socialism
Communism
11.9%
[a]		 9 [11]
[12]
CiU
List
 Pere Esteve Catalan nationalism
Centrism		 4.7% 3 [13]
CN–EP
List
 Josu Ortuondo Peripheral nationalism
2.8%
[c]		 2 [14]
[15]
CE
List
 Isidoro Sánchez Regionalism
2.2%
[b]		 0
LV–IP
List
 Antoni Gutiérrez Green politics
Eco-socialism
Left-wing nationalism
1.5%
[e]		 0
EH
List
 Koldo Gorostiaga Basque independence
Left-wing nationalism
Revolutionary socialism
1.0%
[f]		 0
BNG
List
 Camilo Nogueira Galician nationalism
Left-wing nationalism
Socialism		 0.7% 0
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Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font.

More information Polling firm/Commissioner, Fieldwork date ...
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Results

Overall

For results by autonomous community/constituency, see Results of the 1999 European Parliament election in Spain.
More information Parties and alliances, Popular vote ...
← Summary of the 13 June 1999 European Parliament election results in Spain →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
People's Party (PP) 8,410,99339.74−0.38 27−1
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party–Progressives (PSOE–p) 7,477,82335.33+4.54 24+2
United Left–United and Alternative Left (IU–EUiA)1 1,221,5665.77−6.15 4−5
Convergence and Union (CiU) 937,6874.43−0.23 3±0
European Coalition (CE)2 677,0943.20+1.03 2+2
Nationalist Coalition–Europe of the Peoples (CN–EP)3 613,9682.90+0.06 2±0
Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) 349,0791.65+0.90 1+1
Basque Citizens (EH)4 306,9231.45+0.48 1+1
The Greens–Left of the Peoples (LV–IP)5 300,8741.42−0.11 0±0
The Greens–Green Group (LV–GV) 138,8350.66+0.07 0±0
Centrist Union–Democratic and Social Centre (UC–CDS) 38,9110.18−0.81 0±0
Leonese People's Union (UPL) 33,6040.16New 0±0
Confederation of Feminist Organizations (COFEM/FEMEK) 28,9010.14New 0±0
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) 26,1890.12−0.04 0±0
Asturian Renewal Union (URAS) 22,4000.11New 0±0
Party for Independence (PI) 17,5440.08New 0±0
Spanish Democratic Party (PADE) 16,0010.08New 0±0
United Extremadura (EU) 15,7160.07±0.00 0±0
Asturianist Party (PAS) 15,2990.07−0.01 0±0
Independent Spanish Phalanx (FEI) 13,9400.07+0.04 0±0
Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party (TC–PNC)6 13,2670.06+0.04 0±0
Alliance for National Unity (AUN) 12,4860.06New 0±0
Humanist Party (PH) 12,4150.06+0.02 0±0
The Phalanx (FE) 10,7920.05New 0±0
Independent Socialists of Extremadura (SIEx) 10,0400.05New 0±0
Regionalist Unity of Castile and León (URCL) 9,9500.05±0.00 0±0
Andalusia Assembly (A) 8,7500.04New 0±0
Natural Law Party (PLN) 8,6710.04New 0±0
Party of Self-employed of Spain and Spanish Independent Groups (PAE–I) 8,3940.04New 0±0
Valencian Community Alternative (ACV) 8,0730.04New 0±0
National Democracy (DN) 8,0530.04New 0±0
Andecha Astur (AA) 7,3210.03New 0±0
Union of Regions (UDR) 7,2510.03New 0±0
Extremaduran Coalition (PREx–CREx)7 7,2300.03±0.00 0±0
Regionalist Party of the Leonese Country (PREPAL) 6,9770.03±0.00 0±0
Coalition for the Repeal of the Maastricht Treaty (DM)8 5,6640.03−0.01 0±0
Blank ballots 357,5831.69+0.54
Total 21,166,264 64±0
Valid votes 21,166,26499.21−0.33
Invalid votes 168,6840.79+0.33
Votes cast / turnout 21,334,94863.05+3.91
Abstentions 12,505,48436.95−3.91
Registered voters 33,840,432
Sources[16][17][18]
Footnotes:
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Popular vote
PP
 
 39.74%
PSOE–p
 
 35.33%
IU–EUiA
 
 5.77%
CiU
 
 4.43%
CE
 
 3.20%
CN–EP
 
 2.90%
BNG
 
 1.65%
EH
 
 1.45%
LV–IP
 
 1.42%
Others
 
 2.42%
Blank ballots
 
 1.69%
Seats
PP
 
 42.19%
PSOE–p
 
 37.50%
IU–EUiA
 
 6.25%
CiU
 
 4.69%
CE
 
 3.13%
CN–EP
 
 3.13%
BNG
 
 1.56%
EH
 
 1.56%

Maps

  • Vote winner strength by province.
    Vote winner strength by province.
  • Vote winner strength by autonomous community.
    Vote winner strength by autonomous community.

Distribution by European group

More information Groups, Parties ...
Summary of political group distribution in the 5th European Parliament (1999–2004)[6]
Groups Parties Seats Total %
European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) 26
1
1		 28 43.75
Party of European Socialists (PES) 22
2		 24 37.50
Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) 1
1
1
1		 4 6.25
European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) 4 4 6.25
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) 2
1		 3 4.69
Non-Inscrits (NI) 1 1 1.56
Total 64 64 100.00
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Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators:[19]

More information Elected legislators, # ...
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Notes

  1. [a]
    Results for IU in the 1994 election, not including Catalonia.
  2. [b]
    Results for CN in Aragon, the Canary Islands and the Valencian Community (1.4%, 0 seats) and PA–PAP (0.8%, 0 seats) in the 1994 election.
  3. [c]
    Results for CN, not including Aragon, the Canary Islands, Galicia and the Valencian Community (1.4%, 2 seats), PEP, not including Cantabria, Castile and León, Castilla–La Mancha, La Rioja and Madrid (1.3%, 0 seats) and EV–CEC (0.2%, 0 seats) in the 1994 election.
  4. [d]
    Antonio González Triviño, former PSOE MEP.
  5. [e]
    Results for IU in Catalonia in the 1994 election.
  6. [f]
    Results for HB in the 1994 election.

References

Bibliography

External links

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