1999 European Parliament election in Spain

The 1999 European Parliament election in Spain was held on Sunday, 13 June 1999, as part of the EU-wide election to elect the 5th European Parliament. All 64 seats allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Amsterdam were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

1999 European Parliament election in Spain
13 June 1999
All 64 Spanish seats in the European Parliament
Opinion polls
Registered33,840,432 7.2%
Turnout21,334,948 (63.0%)
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–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%[lower-alpha 1]
Seats won 27 24 4
Seat change 1 2 5
Popular vote 8,410,993 7,477,823 1,221,566
Percentage 39.7% 35.3% 5.8%
Swing 0.4 pp 4.5 pp 6.1 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Pere Esteve Isidoro Sánchez Josu Ortuondo
Party CiU CE CN–EP
Alliance ELDR/EPP–ED ELDR/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%[lower-alpha 2] 2 seats, 2.8%[lower-alpha 3]
Seats won 3 2 2
Seat change 0 2 0
Popular vote 937,687 677,094 613,968
Percentage 4.4% 3.2% 2.9%
Swing 0.3 pp 1.0 pp 0.1 pp

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.

Electoral system

64 members of the European Parliament were allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Amsterdam. Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals and resident non-national European citizens over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.[1][2]

All seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with no electoral threshold being applied in order to be entitled to enter seat distribution. Seats were allocated to a single multi-member constituency comprising the entire national territory.[1] The use of the D'Hondt method might result in an effective threshold depending on the district magnitude.[3]

Outgoing delegation
Outgoing delegation in May 1999[4]
Groups Parties MEPs
Seats Total
European People's Party PP 28 29
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[lower-alpha 4]
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party CDC 2 2

Parties and candidates

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call. In order to be entitled to run, parties, federations, coalitions 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 of candidates.[1]

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

Candidacy Parties and
alliances		 Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Ref.
Votes (%) Seats
PP
List
 Loyola de Palacio Conservatism
Christian democracy		 40.12% 28 [5]
PSOE–p
List
 Rosa Díez Social democracy 30.79% 22 [6]
IU–EUiA
List
 Alonso Puerta Socialism
Communism		 11.92%[lower-alpha 1] 9 [7]
[8]
CiU
List
 Pere Esteve Catalan nationalism
Centrism		 4.66% 3 [9]
CN–EP
List
 Josu Ortuondo Peripheral nationalism 2.84%[lower-alpha 3] 2 [10]
[11]
CE
List
 Isidoro Sánchez Regionalism 2.17%[lower-alpha 2] 0
LV–IP
List
 Antoni Gutiérrez Green politics
Eco-socialism
Left-wing nationalism		 1.53%[lower-alpha 5] 0
EH
List
 Koldo Gorostiaga Basque independence
Left-wing nationalism
Revolutionary socialism		 0.97%[lower-alpha 6] 0
BNG
List
 Camilo Nogueira Galician nationalism
Left-wing nationalism
Socialism		 0.75% 0

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.

Results

Overall
For results by autonomous community/constituency, see Results breakdown of the 1999 European Parliament election in Spain.
← 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[12][13]
Footnotes:
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%

Distribution by European group
Summary of political group distribution in the 5th European Parliament (1999–2004)[4]
Groups Parties Seats Total  %
European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) 27
1		 28 43.75
Party of European Socialists (PES) 22
2		 24 37.50
Greens–European Free Alliance (G/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

Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators:[14]

Notes
  1. Results for IU in the 1994 election, not including Catalonia.
  2. Results for CN in Aragon, the Canary Islands and the Valencian Community (1.42%, 0 seats) and PA–PAP (0.76%, 0 seats) in the 1994 election.
  3. Results for CN, not including Aragon, the Canary Islands, Galicia and the Valencian Community (1.35%, 2 seats), PEP, not including Cantabria, Castile and León, Castilla–La Mancha, La Rioja and Madrid (1.26%, 0 seats) and EV–CEC (0.23%, 0 seats) in the 1994 election.
  4. Antonio González Triviño, former PSOE MEP.
  5. Results for IU in Catalonia in the 1994 election.
  6. Results for HB in the 1994 election.

References
Opinion poll sources
  1. "El PP saca 5,7 puntos de ventaja al PSOE". ABC (in Spanish). 6 June 1999.
  2. "El PP gana al PSOE, pero su ventaja cae a la mitad". El País (in Spanish). 5 June 1999.
  3. "El PP aventaja en 5,6 puntos al PSOE en el último sondeo para las europeas". El Mundo (in Spanish). 7 June 1999.
  4. "Sondejos". Generalitat de Catalunya (in Catalan). Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  5. "Preelectoral elecciones al Parlamento Europeo, 1999 (Estudio nº 2325. Mayo 1999)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 4 June 1999.
  6. "El PP conserva su poder municipal, autonómico y europeo, e IU se hunde". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 June 1999.
  7. "Un sondeo da 3,4 puntos de ventaja al PP en las europeas". El País (in Spanish). 31 May 1999.
  8. "Una encuesta adjudica al PP tres puntos de ventaja sobre el PSOE en las europeas". El País (in Spanish). 17 May 1999.
  9. "El PP aventaja al PSOE en 6,8 puntos a un año del final de la legislatura". El Mundo (in Spanish). 4 January 1999.
Other
  1. "Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985. Retrieved 6 March 2017. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. "Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts". Act of 10 November 1997. Retrieved 21 July 2017. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  3. Gallagher, Michael (30 July 2012). "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Trinity College, Dublin. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  4. "Parlamento Europeo: Distribución de los Eurodiputados españoles en grupos parlamentarios". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. Casqueiro, Javier (23 April 1999). "El PP designa a Loyola de Palacio para encabezar la lista al Parlamento Europeo". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  6. Díez, Anabel (23 March 1999). "Rosa Díez encabezará la lista europea del PSOE para luchar contra el "nacionalismo excluyente"". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  7. Rivas, Javier (3 March 1994). "Alonso Puerta encabezará la lista europea de IU con el rechazo de los 'duros' del PCE". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  8. Serrano, Rodolfo (1 May 1999). "Alonso Puerta encabeza la candidatura europea de IU con mayoría comunista". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  9. Mauri, Luis (17 November 1998). "Pujol 'aparca' a Esteve desplazándolo a las listas para las elecciones europeas". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  10. "La dirección del PNV propone a Ortuondo como cabeza de lista para las europeas". El País (in Spanish). Bilbao. 3 March 1999. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  11. "La asamblea del PNV ratifica a Ortuondo como candidato a las europeas". El País (in Spanish). 18 April 1999. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  12. "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  13. "Elecciones Europeas 13 de junio de 1999". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  14. Junta Electoral Central: "Acuerdo de 29 de junio de 1999, de la Junta Electoral Central, por el que se procede a la proclamación de Diputados electos al Parlamento Europeo en las elecciones celebradas el 13 de junio de 1999" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (156): 25068. 1 July 1999. ISSN 0212-033X.
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