2011 Andorran parliamentary election

Early parliamentary elections were held in Andorra on 3 April 2011 after the General Council of Andorra was dissolved over problems in passing important laws, including the budget and laws related to a value added tax.[1]

2011 Andorran parliamentary election

3 April 2011 (2011-04-03)

All 28 seats in the General Council
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Antoni Martí Jaume Bartumeu Montserrat Gil i Roser
Party DA PS UL
Last election 9 seats 14 seats 2 seats
Seats won 20 6 2
Seat change Increase11 Decrease8 Steady
Popular vote 8,553 5,397 1,349
Percentage 55.15% 34.80% 9.01%
Swing Increase36.29pp Decrease10.23pp [lower-alpha 1]

Prime Minister before election

Jaume Bartumeu
PS

Elected Prime Minister

Antoni Martí
DA

The Democrats for Andorra won an absolute majority of seats making Antoni Martí the prime minister-designate.

Background

The two co-princes of Andorra – the President of France and the Bishop of Urgell – do not get involved in internal politics, particularly after the May 1993 constitution making the principality an independent state.

Fall of government

A crisis in government developed after banking secrecy laws were lifted and a value added tax was due to be applied to companies, along with an opening up to foreign investment. After the 2009 election, the Social Democratic Party achieved a plurality of seats but fell one seat short of an overall majority, thus providing for more deadlock during key pieces of legislation. The government fell two years before its full four-year term was due to end after failing to pass the budget with an absolute majority.[2] Jaume Bartumeu effectively called for an election[3] by requesting that the country's co-princes dissolve parliament.

Electoral system

Twenty-eight "general councillors" were elected, based on closed party lists:[4]

The parish lists and the national list are independent of one another: the same person cannot appear on both the national list and on a parish list, and voters cast two separate ballots. There is no requirement to vote for the same party for both lists.[7]

Campaign

Five parties contested the election: The governing Social Democrats (PS), the newly formed opposition Democrats for Andorra (DA), the third place Andorra for Change (ApC), the Greens and the local conservative Lauredian Union (LU) party.

Out of these only the PS, DA and LU contested the parish seats. The PS contested all parishes, while DA contested all but Sant Julià de Lòria, which was contested by Lauredian Union. ApC announced they would support DA candidates on a parish level.[8] The Liberal Party of Andorra, which finished in second place with 11 seats in the prior elections, did not contest.

Incumbent Prime Minister Jaume Bartumeu and his main challenger Antoni Martí wanted to change the protectionism previously prevalent in the national economy. They sought to attract foreign capital primarily in the technology sector to diversify from a current economy based on trade (33%), tourism (33%) and banking (17%). Due to the global financial crisis and its effect on Spain, which accounts for 80% of Andorran trade, (the other 20% with France) the economy was in a "severe crisis." Since 2008, 4,000 people[2] in the country of 84,525[9] (almost 5% of the total population) lost their jobs, including seasonal employment.

Bartumeu had released the listing of Andorra's tax haven status with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. He also enacted a law to lift bank secrecy. He accuses right-winged parties of not forgiving him for a "move towards transparency and fiscal reforms."

Martí said that: "We develop our tax system to be within the European standards, Andorrans do not want to pay taxes, but they understand the need to change the system. We will keep an attractive tax regime and will continue to offer attractive products." Still there was some "broad consensus on economic and tax issues" between the two main parties; though the main difference was the creation of an income tax. Bartumeu sought to tax incomes of more than 40,000 euros, even though the minimum wage is 39,600. Marti opposed the entire proposal.

Eusebi Nomen of Andorra for Change also denounced the proposed increased tax burden and accused the government of selling "national sovereignty."

The Greens of Andorra's Isabel Lozano said that economic development must be more environmentally friendly.[2]

Results

The Democrats for Andorra won a landslide victory, taking every parish in which they stood and winning the national vote, giving them 20 out of the 28 General Council's seats, the biggest victory in the country's history.[10] The Social Democrats lost all their parish seats and held only their six national seats, while Lauredian Union returned to the General Council, winning the parish of Sant Julià de Lòria. Andorra for Change lost all their seats, and the Greens finished last, gaining no seats.[11][12]

Voter turnout was 74.14%.[3] Of the 28 members elected, 14 were women, making 50% of the parliament legislators women (up from 32%).[13][14] This made Andorra the first European country to reach gender parity in parliament.

PartyPRConstituencyTotal
seats
Votes%SeatsVotes%Seats
Democrats for Andorra[lower-alpha 2]8,55355.1587,72351.581220
Social Democratic Party[lower-alpha 3]5,39734.8065,90139.4106
Andorra for Change1,0406.7100
Greens of Andorra5203.3500
Lauredian Union1,3499.0122
Total15,510100.001414,973100.001428
Valid votes15,51095.7614,97392.51
Invalid/blank votes6874.241,2127.49
Total votes16,197100.0016,185100.00
Registered voters/turnout21,85274.1221,85274.07
Source: Andorra Elections
  1. Part of the Reformist Coalition
  2. Ran with United for Progress in Encamp
  3. Ran with Parochial Union of Independents Group in Ordino

Parish lists

Canillo
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democrats for Andorra42170.6420
Social Democratic Party and independents17529.3600
Total596100.0020
Valid votes59692.12
Invalid/blank votes517.88
Total votes647100.00
Registered voters/turnout79481.49
Source: Andorra Elections
Encamp
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democrats for Andorra and United for Progress1,32463.3520
Social Democratic Party and independents76636.6500
Total2,090100.0020
Valid votes2,09093.26
Invalid/blank votes1516.74
Total votes2,241100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,00474.60
Source: Andorra Elections
Ordino
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democrats for Andorra56053.902+2
Social Democratic PartyGUPI47946.100–2
Total1,039100.0020
Valid votes1,03992.19
Invalid/blank votes887.81
Total votes1,127100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,37981.73
Source: Andorra Elections
La Massana
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democrats for Andorra1,11265.532+2
Social Democratic Party and independents58534.470–2
Total1,697100.0020
Valid votes1,69792.73
Invalid/blank votes1337.27
Total votes1,830100.00
Registered voters/turnout2,31179.19
Source: Andorra Elections
Andorra la Vella
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democrats for Andorra2,21953.142+2
Social Democratic Party and independents1,95746.860–2
Total4,176100.0020
Valid votes4,17692.47
Invalid/blank votes3407.53
Total votes4,516100.00
Registered voters/turnout6,60468.38
Source: Andorra Elections
Sant Julià de Lòria
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Lauredian Union1,34961.7720
Social Democratic Party and independents83538.2300
Total2,184100.0020
Valid votes2,18490.62
Invalid/blank votes2269.38
Total votes2,410100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,17375.95
Source: Andorra Elections
Escaldes-Engordany
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Democrats for Andorra2,08765.402+2
Social Democratic Party and independents1,10434.600–2
Total3,191100.0020
Valid votes3,19193.47
Invalid/blank votes2236.53
Total votes3,414100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,58774.43
Source: Andorra Elections

References

  1. "Jefe del gobierno de Andorra disuelve parlamento y adelanta elecciones | Mundo". El Nacional.com. 15 February 2011. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  2. "Andorra: Tax, foreign investment in the heart of early parliamentary". Pisqa.com. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  3. "Ruling party defeated in Andorra". The Australian. 4 April 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  4. Art. 42.2, Law 28/2007.
  5. Art. 57, Law 28/2007.
  6. Art. 58, Law 28/2007.
  7. Arts. 19, 51 & 52, Law 28/2007.
  8. "ApC es decideix a presentar llista nacional i dóna suport a les territorials de DA". Andorrapelcanvi.ad. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  9. "IFES Election Guide - Election Profile for Andorra". Electionguide.org. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  10. "Toni Martí obté una victòria aclaparadora amb 21 escons". Diari d'Andorra (in Catalan). 3 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  11. Source for figures is Carr, Adam (6 April 2011). "Legislative elections of 3 April 2011". Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  12. "Govern d'Andorra - Eleccions". Eleccions.ad. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
  13. "ANDORRA - ELECTIONS IN 2011". Archived from the original on 25 August 2019.
  14. "Women in Parliament: 20 years in review" (PDF). Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 October 2017.
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