2024 Basque regional election

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Registered1,795,213 Increase 0.0%
Turnout1,077,456 (60.0%)
Increase 9.2 pp
2024 Basque regional election
← 2020
21 April 2024
Next →
All 75 seats in the Basque Parliament
38 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered1,795,213 Increase 0.0%
Turnout1,077,456 (60.0%)
Increase 9.2 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Imanol Pradales Pello Otxandiano Eneko Andueza
Party EAJ/PNV EH Bildu PSE–EE (PSOE)
Leader since 27 January 2024 11 December 2023 30 October 2021
Leader's seat Biscay Álava Biscay
Last election 31 seats, 38.7% 21 seats, 27.6% 10 seats, 13.5%
Seats won 27 27 12
Seat change Decrease 4 Increase 6 Increase 2
Popular vote 372,456 343,609 150,752
Percentage 34.8% 32.1% 14.1%
Swing Decrease 3.9 pp Increase 4.5 pp Increase 0.6 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Javier de Andrés Alba García Amaia Martínez
Party PP Sumar Vox
Leader since 4 November 2023 9 January 2024 3 August 2020
Leader's seat Álava Biscay (lost) Álava
Last election 6 seats, 6.7%[a] 2 seats (EP)[b] 1 seat, 1.9%
Seats won 7 1 1
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1 Steady 0
Popular vote 98,144 35,402 21,696
Percentage 9.2% 3.3% 2.0%
Swing Increase 2.5 pp n/a Increase 0.1 pp
Lehendakari before election

Iñigo Urkullu
EAJ/PNV

 Elected Lehendakari

Imanol Pradales
EAJ/PNV

A regional election was held in the Basque Country on 21 April 2024 to elect the 13th Parliament of the autonomous community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.

This election was the first since 2009 not to see Iñigo Urkullu as the leading candidate of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), after the party chose to replace the incumbent Lehendakari with a low profile politician at the provincial level, Imanol Pradales, following 12 years of uninterrupted government. The main opposition, EH Bildu, also ran under a new candidate, Pello Otxandiano, amid speculation that long-time leader Arnaldo Otegi could have led the candidacy following the end of his disqualification from running for public office. All other parliamentary parties but Podemos and Vox also ran under new candidates: Eneko Andueza by the Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE), Javier de Andrés by the People's Party (PP)—with the PP+Cs alliance being discontinued and Citizens (CS) deciding not to contest the election—and Alba García by Sumar.

The results showed a close race between the PNV and EH Bildu, with the latter slightly underperforming opinion polls but securing a large increase in its popular support. The PSE–EE, which had been the junior partner to the PNV-led government since 2016, saw an unexpected increase in support to secure its best result since 2012. The PP increased its seat totals by one compared to the PP+Cs results in 2020, whereas the dissolution of the Elkarrekin Podemos alliance saw Sumar clinging on to one seat and Podemos losing all its representation. Vox was able to retain its seat for Álava.

Date

Under the 1979 Statute of Autonomy, the Basque Parliament was the unicameral legislature of the homonymous autonomous community, having legislative power in devolved matters, as well as the ability to grant or withdraw confidence from a lehendakari.[1] The electoral and procedural rules were supplemented by national law provisions.[2]

The term of the Basque Parliament expired four years after the date of its previous election, unless it was dissolved earlier. The election decree was required to be issued no later than 25 days before the scheduled expiration date of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV), with election day taking place 54 days after the decree's publication.[3] The previous election was held on 12 July 2020, which meant that the chamber's term would have expired on 12 July 2024. The election decree was required to be published in the BOPV no later than 18 June 2024, setting the latest possible date for election day on 11 August 2024.

The lehendakari had the prerogative to dissolve the Basque Parliament at any given time and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process.[4] In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a lehendakari within a sixty-day period from the Parliament's reconvening, the chamber was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called.[5]

Following the announcement by Galician president Alfonso Rueda of a snap election in Galicia for 18 February 2024,[6] Urkullu was asked whether he would follow suit and make both elections be held simultaneously—as it had been the case since 2009.[7] To this, he simply stated that "the Basque Country is not Galicia", distancing himself from Rueda's decision.[8] Instead, it was expected that the Basque election would most likely be held in March or April 2024, to allow for more time to approve a final set of bills in the Basque Parliament as well as to avoid a simultaneous call with the European Parliament election on 9 June.[9][10]

The Basque Parliament was officially dissolved on 27 February 2024 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOPV, setting election day for 21 April.[11]

Electoral system

Voting for the Parliament was based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Basque Country and with full political rights, provided that they had not been deprived of the right to vote by a final sentence.[12] Amendments in 2022 abolished the "begged" voting system (Spanish: Voto rogado), under which non-resident citizens were required to apply for voting.[13] The expat vote system was attributed responsibility for a major decrease in the turnout of Spaniards abroad during the years it was in force.[14]

The Basque Parliament had 75 seats. All were elected in three multi-member constituencies—corresponding to the provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, each of which was assigned a fixed number of 25 seats to provide for an equal parliamentary representation of the three provinces—using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with a three percent-threshold of valid votes (including blank ballots) in each constituency.[15] The use of this electoral method resulted in a higher effective threshold depending on district magnitude and vote distribution.[16]

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.[17]

Outgoing parliament

The table below shows the composition of the parliamentary groups in the chamber at the time of dissolution.[18][19]

Parliamentary composition in February 2024
Groups Parties Legislators
Seats Total
Basque Nationalists Parliamentary Group EAJ/PNV 31 31
EH Bildu Parliamentary Group EH Bildu 21 21
Basque Socialists Parliamentary Group PSE–EE (PSOE) 10 10
Elkarrekin Podemos–IU Parliamentary Group Podemos 4 6
EzAn–IU 2
Basque People's Parliamentary Group[20] PP 5[c] 5
Mixed Group Vox 1 2
CS 1

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, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list.[22] Additionally, a balanced composition of men and women was required in the electoral lists, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition.[23]

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

Candidacy Parties and
alliances		 Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Ref.
Vote % Seats
EAJ/PNV
List
 Imanol Pradales Basque nationalism
Christian democracy
Social democracy		 38.7% 31 Yes [24]
[25]
EH Bildu
List
 Pello Otxandiano Basque independence
Abertzale left
Socialism		 27.6% 21 No [26]
[27]
PSE–EE
(PSOE)		 Eneko Andueza Social democracy 13.5% 10 Yes [28]
Podemos–AV
List
 Miren Gorrotxategi Left-wing populism
Democratic socialism
9.3%
[d]		 6 No [29]
[30]
[31]
Sumar Alba García Progressivism
Green politics
Democratic socialism		 No [29]
[31]
PP
List
 Javier de Andrés Conservatism
Christian democracy
6.7%
[a]		 6 No [32]
Vox
List
 Amaia Martínez Right-wing populism
Ultranationalism
National conservatism		 1.9% 1 No [33]

Campaign

Timetable

The key dates are listed below (all times are CET):[34]

  • 26 February: The election decree is issued with the countersign of the lehendakari, after deliberation in the Government.
  • 27 February: Formal dissolution of parliament and start of prohibition period on the inauguration of public works, services or projects.
  • 1 March: Initial constitution of historical territory and zone electoral commissions with judicial members.
  • 4 March: Division of constituencies into polling sections and stations.
  • 8 March: Deadline for parties and federations to report on their electoral alliances.
  • 11 March: Deadline for electoral register consultation for the purpose of possible corrections.
  • 18 March: Deadline for parties, federations, alliances, and groupings of electors to present electoral lists.
  • 20 March: Publication of submitted electoral lists in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV).
  • 25 March: Official proclamation of validly submitted electoral lists.
  • 26 March: Publication of proclaimed electoral lists in the BOPV.
  • 27 March: Deadline for the selection of polling station members by sortition.
  • 4 April: Deadline for the appointment of non-judicial members to provincial and zone electoral commissions.
  • 5 April: Official start of electoral campaigning.[35]
  • 11 April: Deadline to apply for postal voting.
  • 16 April: Start of legal ban on electoral opinion polling publication; deadline for non-resident citizens (electors residing abroad (CERA) and citizens temporarily absent from Spain) to vote by mail.
  • 17 April: Deadline for postal and temporarily absent voting.
  • 18 April: Deadline for CERA voting.
  • 19 April: Last day of electoral campaigning.[35]
  • 20 April: Official election silence ("reflection day").
  • 21 April: Election day (polling stations open at 9 am and close at 8 pm or once voters present in a queue at/outside the polling station at 8 pm have cast their vote); provisional vote counting.
  • 26 April: Start of general vote counting, including CERA votes.
  • 30 April: Deadline for the general vote counting.
  • 11 May: Deadline for the proclamation of elected members.
  • 18 May: Deadline for the publication of definitive election results in the BOPV.

Party slogans

Party or alliance Original slogan English translation Ref.
EAJ/PNV « Aukeratu Euskadi. Elige Bienestar » "Choose the Basque Country. Choose wellbeing" [36]
EH Bildu « Aldaketa da orain. El futuro en tus manos » "The change is now. The future in your hands"
PSE–EE (PSOE) « Vota al que decide. Erabakia zurea » "Vote for the one who decides. The decision is yours" [36]
Podemos–AV « Elige izquierda » "Choose the left"
Sumar « Es tu tiempo. Euskadi berria » "It's your time. The new Basque Country" [37]
PP « Por una Euskadi abierta/Euskadi ireki baten alde » "For an open Basque Country" [38]
Vox « Sabes que es verdad » "You know it's true" [39]

Debates

2024 Basque regional election debates
Date Organisers Moderator(s)     P  Present[e]    S  Surrogate[f]    NI  Not invited   A  Absent invitee 
PNV EH Bildu PSE–EE Podemos Sumar PP Vox Audience Ref.
9 April Coordinadora de
ONGD de Euskadi		 Begoña Beristain S
Legarreta		 S
Urrea		 S
Gallastegi		 S
Gorritxo		 S
Martínez		 S
Garrido		 NI — [40]
9 April RTVE Xabier Fortes
Teresa Aguiló		 S
Díez		 S
Kortajarena		 P
Andueza		 S
De Uralde		 P
García		 P
De Andrés		 P
Martínez		 14.2%
(83,000)[g]		 [43]
10 April Cadena SER Eva Domaika S
Díez		 S
De Eguilaz		 S
Jilete		 NI NI S
López		 NI — [44]
10 April EITB[h] Nerea Reparaz P
Pradales		 P
Otxandiano		 P
Andueza		 P
Gorrotxategi		 S
Larrea		 S
Garrido		 A 4.0% [45]
[46]
12 April AMPEA Eva Silván S
Melgosa		 S
Etxebarrieta		 S
Jilete		 S
González		 S
García		 S
Garrido		 NI — [47]
12 April Cadena SER Eva Domaika S
Díez		 S
Rodriguez		 S
Itxaso		 S
Soto		 S
Martínez		 S
Morales		 A — [48]
15 April El Diario Vasco Estrella Vallejo
Javier Roldán		 P
Pradales		 P
Otxandiano		 P
Andueza		 S
Soto		 P
García		 P
De Andrés		 NI — [49]
16 April EITB África Baeta
Xabier García Ramsden		 P
Pradales		 P
Otxandiano		 P
Andueza		 P
Gorrotxategi		 P
García		 P
De Andrés		 P
Martínez		 17.4%
(86,000)		 [45]
[50]
17 April UN Etxea
EGK		 Iratxe Uriarte S
Díez		 S
Del Valle		 S
Blanco		 S
Mestraitua		 S
Alonso		 S
Velasco		 NI — [51]
[52]
17 April Cadena SER Eva Domaika S
Olano		 S
Rodriguez		 S
Corcuera		 S
Soto		 S
Hernández		 S
Gotxi		 A — [53]
18 April El Correo Marta Madruga
Olatz Barriuso		 P
Pradales		 P
Otxandiano		 P
Andueza		 P
Gorrotxategi		 P
García		 P
De Andrés		 P
Martínez		 — [54]
19 April Cadena SER Jon Egaña P
Pradales		 P
Otxandiano		 P
Andueza		 P
Gorrotxategi		 P
García		 P
De Andrés		 P
Martínez		 — [55]

Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results 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 poll.

Graphical summary

Local regression trend line of poll results from 12 July 2020 to 21 April 2024, with each line corresponding to a political party.

Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 38 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Basque Parliament.

Color key:

  Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Victory preferences

The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

Preferred Lehendakari

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become lehendakari.

Voter turnout

The table below shows registered voter turnout on election day, without including non-resident citizens. Compared to past elections, 2024 elections turnout data are to be gathered at 13:00 and 18:00 (instead of 12:00 and 17:00 at previous elections).[57]

Province Time
13:00[m] 18:00[n] 20:00
2020 2024 +/– 2020 2024 +/– 2020 2024 +/–
Álava 13.51% 25.93% +12.42 33.21% 48.73% +15.52 50.31% 61.11% +10.80
Biscay 13.49% 27.43% +13.94 36.40% 51.87% +15.47 52.52% 63.41% +10.89
Gipuzkoa 15.48% 30.02% +14.54 36.67% 50.73% +14.06 54.57% 61.71% +7.14
Total 14.14% 28.05% +13.91 36.02% 51.03% +15.01 52.86% 62.52% +9.66
Sources[58]

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 21 April 2024 Basque Parliament election results
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) 372,45634.82−3.88 27−4
Basque Country Gather (EH Bildu) 343,60932.13+4.53 27+6
Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE (PSOE)) 150,75214.09+0.57 12+2
People's Party (PP)1 98,1449.18+2.47 7+1
Unite (Sumar)2 35,4023.31n/a 1−1
United We Can–Green Alliance (Podemos/Ahal Dugu–AV)2 23,8882.23n/a 0−4
Vox (Vox) 21,6962.03+0.05 1±0
Animalist Party with the Environment (PACMA)3 5,5850.52−0.02 0±0
Blank Seats to Leave Empty Seats (EB/AZ) 3,1120.29+0.02 0±0
For a Fairer World (PUM+J) 1,6830.16+0.04 0±0
To Be (Izan) 1,4190.13New 0±0
Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE/ELAK) 6660.06±0.00 0±0
Humanist Party (PH) 4750.04+0.01 0±0
Welcome (OE) 1870.02+0.01 0±0
Blank ballots 10,5230.98+0.04
Total 1,069,597 75±0
Valid votes 1,069,59799.27+0.01
Invalid votes 7,8590.73−0.01
Votes cast / turnout 1,077,45660.02+9.24
Abstentions 717,75739.98−9.24
Registered voters 1,795,213
Sources[18][59][60]
Footnotes:
Popular vote
EAJ/PNV
 
 34.82%
EH Bildu
 
 32.13%
PSE–EE (PSOE)
 
 14.09%
PP
 
 9.18%
Sumar
 
 3.31%
Podemos–AV
 
 2.23%
Vox
 
 2.03%
Others
 
 1.23%
Blank ballots
 
 0.98%
Seats
EAJ/PNV
 
 36.00%
EH Bildu
 
 36.00%
PSE–EE (PSOE)
 
 16.00%
PP
 
 9.33%
Sumar
 
 1.33%
Vox
 
 1.33%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency PNV EH Bildu PSE–EE PP Sumar Vox
% S % S % S % S % S % S
Álava 26.7 7 29.1 8 16.2 4 15.9 4 3.7 1 3.7 1
Biscay 39.1 11 28.3 8 13.9 4 9.0 2 3.3 − 1.9 −
Gipuzkoa 31.4 9 39.8 11 13.4 4 6.4 1 3.1 − 1.5 −
Total 34.8 27 32.1 27 14.1 12 9.2 7 3.3 1 2.0 1
Sources[18][59][60]

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Ballot → 20 June 2024
Required majority → 38 out of 75
39 / 75
 check
27 / 75
 ☒
Abstentions/Blank ballots
9 / 75
Absentees
0 / 75
Sources[18][61]

Notes

References

Bibliography

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