35th Federal Congress of the PSOE

The 35th Federal Congress of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party was held in Madrid from 21 to 23 July 2000 to renovate the governing bodies of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and establish the party's main lines of action and strategy for the next leadership term. It was held after the party's defeat in the 2000 general election and the subsequent resignation of then secretary-general Joaquín Almunia.

35th Federal Congress of the PSOE
21−23 July 2000
998 delegates in the 35th Federal Congress of the PSOE
Plurality of delegates needed to win
Turnout995 (99.7%) (secretary)
964 (96.6%) (executive)
 
Candidate José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero José Bono Matilde Fernández
Delegate vote 414 (41.6%) 405 (40.7%) 109 (11.0%)
Executive 865 (90.2%) Withdrew Withdrew
 
Candidate Rosa Díez Blank ballots
Delegate vote 65 (6.5%) 2 (0.2%)
Executive Withdrew 94 (9.8%)
Secretary before election

Caretaker committee headed by Manuel Chaves

 Elected Secretary

José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

Under a plurality voting system, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero unexpectedly won the party leadership with 41.6% of the delegate vote (414 votes), to president of Castilla–La Mancha and initial favourite José Bono's 40.7% (405 votes). Former social affairs minister Matilde Fernández secured 11.0% (109 votes), whereas the leader of the PSOE group in the European Parliament, Rosa Díez, obtained 6.5% (65 votes).[1][2] Zapatero would subsequently win the 2004 Spanish general election and become prime minister of Spain in April 2004, a post he would held until 2011.

Timetable

The key dates are listed below (all times are CET):[3][4]

  • 22 March: Official announcement of the congress.
  • 13–15 June: Election of congress delegates.
  • 21–23 July: Federal congress.

Candidates
Candidate Age Notable positions Announced Eliminated Ref.

Elected

Candidate elected as secretary-general.
José Luis
Rodríguez
Zapatero		 39 Deputy in the Cortes Generales for León (since 1986) 25 June 2000 checkY Elected [5]

Proclaimed

Candidates who met the endorsement requirement and were officially proclaimed to contest the party congress.
José Bono		 49 President of the Junta of Communities of Castilla–La Mancha (since 1983)
Deputy in the Cortes of Castilla–La Mancha for Albacete and Toledo (since 1983)
President of the PSCM–PSOE (1990–1997)
Secretary-General of the PSCM–PSOE (1988–1990)
Deputy in the Cortes Generales for Albacete and Toledo (1979–1983)
Fourth Secretary of the Congress of Deputies (1979–1982)		 17 June 2000 22 July 2000 [4]
[6]
Matilde Fernández		 50 City Councillor of Madrid (since 1999)
President of the PSC–PSOE (since 1997)
Deputy in the Cortes Generales for Cantabria (1989–2000)
Secretary of Women of the PSOE (1984–1997)
Minister of Social Affairs of Spain (1988–1993)		 27 May 2000 22 July 2000 [7]
[8]
Rosa Díez		 47 President of the PSOE Delegation in the European Parliament (since 1999)
Member of the European Parliament for Spain (since 1999)
Deputy in the Basque Parliament for Álava and Biscay (1987–1999)
Minister of Trade, Consumer Affairs and Tourism of the Basque Country (1991–1998)
City Councillor of Güeñes (1987–1991)
Vice President of the General Councils of Biscay for Valmaseda (1983–1987)
Deputy in the General Councils of Biscay for Valmaseda and Encartaciones (1979–1987)		 4 May 2000 22 July 2000 [9]
[10]

Declined

The individuals in this section were the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but publicly denied or recanted interest in running:

Endorsements

Candidates seeking to run were required to collect the endorsements of at least 10% of congress delegates.[15][16]

Summary of candidate endorsement results
Candidate Delegates
Count % T % V
José Bono 35035.0747.43
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero 18418.4424.93
Rosa Díez 10310.3213.96
Matilde Fernández 10110.1213.69
Total 738
Valid endorsements 73873.95
Not endorsing 26026.05
Total members 998
Sources[17]
Endorsements by delegates
Bono
 
 47.43%
Zapatero
 
 24.93%
Díez
 
 13.96%
Fernández
 
 13.69%

Results
Summary of the 22–23 July 2000 congress results
Candidate Secretary Executive
Votes  % Votes  %
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero 41441.61 86590.20
José Bono 40540.70 Withdrew
Matilde Fernández 10910.95 Withdrew
Rosa Díez 656.53 Withdrew
Blank ballots 20.20 949.80
Total 995 959
Valid votes 995100.00 95999.48
Invalid votes 00.00 50.52
Votes cast / turnout 99599.70 96496.59
Abstentions 30.30 343.41
Total delegates 998 998
Sources[2][18][19]
Vote by delegates (Secretary-General)
Zapatero
 
 41.61%
Bono
 
 40.70%
Fernández
 
 10.95%
Díez
 
 6.53%
Blank ballots
 
 0.20%
Vote by delegates (Executive)
Zapatero
 
 90.20%
Blank ballots
 
 9.80%

References
  1. "Comienza el cambio tranquilo". PSOE (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  2. "Partido Socialista Obrero Español. Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya, P.Socialista de Euskadi E.E., Partido Socialista Popular, PSOE histórico". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  3. "Los socialistas deben elegir hoy entre un congreso ordinario o extraordinario". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 22 March 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  4. "Bono confirmará en los próximos días su candidatura para liderar el PSOE". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 7 June 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  5. Elordi Cué, Carlos (26 June 2000). "Zapatero se presenta y rechaza la idea de una refundación del PSOE". El País (in Spanish). León. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  6. "Bono hace oficial su candidatura a liderar el PSOE desde la independencia". Última Hora (in Spanish). Toledo. EFE. 18 June 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  7. "Los guerristas lanzan a Matilde Fernández al liderazgo del PSOE". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Madrid. EFE. 23 May 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  8. Á. Regatero, José (28 May 2000). "El ala izquierda del PSOE crea un frente contra el sector oficialista de José Bono". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  9. "Rosa Díez presenta hoy su candidatura a la Secretaría General del PSOE". Última Hora (in Spanish). OTR Press. 4 May 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  10. "Rosa Díez presenta su candidatura para liderar el PSOE, sola y sin «padrinos»". Última Hora (in Spanish). OTR Press. 4 May 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  11. "Alberdi da marcha atrás y anuncia que no aspirará a liderar el PSOE". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. Agencias. 13 May 2000. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  12. Díez, Anabel (13 March 2000). "Joaquín Almunia asume la derrota y dimite". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  13. Díez, Anabel (15 May 1999). "Borrell renuncia como candidato por el escándalo de sus ex colaboradores". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  14. Díez, Anabel (21 July 2000). "Felipe González comunica a su entorno que no aceptará la presidencia del PSOE". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  15. López Alba, Gonzalo (26 November 2011). "El PSOE repetirá el modelo de congreso que aupó a Zapatero". Público (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  16. Pascual Bueno, Ernesto M. (2016). Selección de Líderes y Candidatos a la Presidencia del Gobierno (1976-2016). "El jardín secreto del PSOE" (PDF) (PhD) (in Spanish). Barcelona: Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. p. 126. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  17. "Qué dice la historia del PSOE: el triunfo en los avales anticipa la victoria en las urnas". El Confidencial (in Spanish). 3 May 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  18. Díez, Anabel (23 July 2000). "Zapatero gana a Bono por sólo 9 votos". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  19. Díez, Anabel (24 July 2000). "Zapatero recupera la unidad del PSOE". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
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