2004 European Parliament election in Spain

The 2004 European Parliament election in Spain was held on Sunday, 13 June 2004, as part of the EU-wide election to elect the 6th European Parliament. All 54 seats allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Nice were up for election.[lower-alpha 1]

2004 European Parliament election in Spain
13 June 2004
All 54[lower-alpha 1] Spanish seats in the European Parliament
Opinion polls
Registered34,706,044 2.6%
Turnout15,666,491 (45.1%)
17.9 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Josep Borrell Jaime Mayor Oreja Ignasi Guardans
Party PSOE PP Galeusca
Alliance PES EPP–ED ALDE
Leader since 2 May 2004 22 April 2004 18 January 2004
Leader's seat Spain Spain Spain
Last election 24 seats, 35.3% 27 seats, 39.7% 4 seats, 8.0%[lower-alpha 2]
Seats won 25 24 2
Seat change 1 3 2
Popular vote 6,741,112 6,393,192 798,816
Percentage 43.5% 41.2% 5.1%
Swing 8.2 pp 1.5 pp 2.9 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Willy Meyer Bernat Joan Alejandro Rojas-Marcos
Party IU–ICV–EUiA Europe of the Peoples (2004) CE
Alliance GUE/NGL Greens/EFA ELDR/G/EFA
Leader since 8 May 2004 17 April 1999 2004
Leader's seat Spain Spain Spain
Last election 4 seats, 6.5%[lower-alpha 3] 2 seats, 1.1%[lower-alpha 4] 2 seats, 3.4%[lower-alpha 5]
Seats won 2 1 0
Seat change 2 1 2
Popular vote 643,136 380,709 197,231
Percentage 4.1% 2.5% 1.3%
Swing 2.4 pp 1.4 pp 2.1 pp

The election saw a close race between the centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which had accessed power earlier in April in the wake of the 11M train bombings leading up to the 14 March general election, and the centre-right People's Party (PP), still reeling from its election defeat. It marked the only time the PSOE emerged as the largest party in a European Parliament election in Spain between 1989 and 2019. It also saw a considerable drop in turnout down to 45.1%, the lowest up until that point—a figure that would be outmatched by the turnout in the two subsequent European Parliament elections, 2009 (44.9%) and 2014 (43.8%).

Electoral system

54 members of the European Parliament were allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Nice.[lower-alpha 1] 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 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 2004[4]
Groups Parties MEPs
Seats Total
European People's Party–European Democrats PP 27 28
UDC 1
Party of European Socialists PSOE 23 24
LV 1
European United Left–Nordic Green Left IU 4 4
Greens–European Free Alliance BNG 1 4
ERC 1
PAR 1
BNV 1
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party CDC 1 3
EAJ/PNV 1
UV 1
Non-Inscrits INDEP 1[lower-alpha 6] 1

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
 Jaime Mayor Oreja Conservatism
Christian democracy		 39.74% 27 [5]
PSOE
List
 Josep Borrell Social democracy 35.33% 24 [6]
Galeusca
List
 Ignasi Guardans Peripheral nationalism 8.02%[lower-alpha 2] 4 [7]
[8]
IU–ICV–EUiA
List
 Willy Meyer Socialism
Communism		 6.51%[lower-alpha 3] 4 [9]
[10]
CE
List
 Alejandro Rojas-Marcos Regionalism 3.44%[lower-alpha 5] 2
EdP
List
 Bernat Joan Peripheral nationalism 1.11%[lower-alpha 4] 2

The abertzale left tried to run under the umbrella of the Herritarren Zerrenda list (Basque for "Citizens' List").[11][12] However, the Spanish Supreme Court annulled HZ lists and banned them from running on 22 May 2004, as it considered that the candidacy's promoters and half of its candidates had links with the outlawed Batasuna and with the ETA environment.[13]

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.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Results

Overall
For results by autonomous community/constituency, see Results breakdown of the 2004 European Parliament election in Spain.
← Summary of the 13 June 2004 European Parliament election results in Spain →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes  % ±pp Total +/−
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 6,741,11243.46+8.13 25+1
People's Party (PP) 6,393,19241.21+1.47 24–3
Galeusca–Peoples of Europe (Galeusca)1 798,8165.15–2.87 2–2
United Left–Initiative for Catalonia Greens–EUiA (IU–ICV–EUiA)2 643,1364.15–2.36 2–2
Europe of the Peoples (EdP)3 380,7092.45+1.34 1–1
European Coalition (CE)4 197,2311.27–2.17 0–2
The Greens–European Green Group (LV–GVE)5 68,5360.44–0.22 0±0
Cannabis Party for Legalisation and Normalisation (PCLyN) 54,4600.35New 0±0
Aralar (Aralar) 19,9930.13New 0±0
Socialist Action Party (PASOC) 13,8100.09New 0±0
Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) 11,8200.08–0.10 0±0
For a Fairer World (PUM+J) 9,2020.06New 0±0
Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) 8,1800.05New 0±0
Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party (POSI)6 7,9760.05+0.02 0±0
Family and Life Party (PFyV) 7,9580.05New 0±0
New Green Left (NIV) 6,8760.04New 0±0
National Democracy (DN) 6,3140.04±0.00 0±0
The Phalanx (FE) 5,9350.04–0.01 0±0
The Unemployed (Los Parados) 5,3140.03New 0±0
Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party (TC–PNC) 5,2670.03–0.03 0±0
Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) 4,4840.03New 0±0
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain–Internationalist Struggle (PCPE–LI) 4,2810.03–0.09 0±0
Humanist Party (PH) 3,9230.03–0.03 0±0
Spanish Democratic Party (PADE) 3,4540.02–0.06 0±0
Regionalist Party of the Leonese Country (PREPAL) 3,3080.02–0.01 0±0
Catalan State (EC) 2,5940.02New 0±0
We–People's Unity (Nós–UP) 2,5160.02New 0±0
Authentic Phalanx (FA) 2,0080.01New 0±0
Liberal Coalition (CL) 1,7190.01New 0±0
Carlist Party (PC) 1,6000.01New 0±0
Liberal Centrist Union (UCL) 1,5440.01New 0±0
Basque Citizens (EH) n/an/a–1.45 0–1
Blank ballots 95,0140.61–1.08
Total 15,512,282 54–10
Valid votes 15,512,28299.02–0.19
Invalid votes 154,2090.98+0.19
Votes cast / turnout 15,666,49145.14–17.91
Abstentions 19,039,55354.86+17.91
Registered voters 34,706,044
Sources[14][15]
Footnotes:
Popular vote
PSOE
 
 43.46%
PP
 
 41.21%
Galeusca
 
 5.15%
IU–ICV–EUiA
 
 4.15%
EdP
 
 2.45%
CE
 
 1.27%
Others
 
 1.70%
Blank ballots
 
 0.61%
Seats
PSOE
 
 46.30%
PP
 
 44.44%
Galeusca
 
 3.70%
IU–ICV–EUiA
 
 3.70%
EdP
 
 1.85%

Distribution by European group
Summary of political group distribution in the 6th European Parliament (2004–2009)[4]
Groups Parties Seats Total  %
Party of European Socialists (PES) 24 24 44.44
European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) 24 24 44.44
Greens–European Free Alliance (G/EFA) 1
1
1		 3 5.56
European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) 1
1		 2 3.70
European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) 1 1 1.85
Total 54 54 100.00

Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators:[16]

Notes
  1. Note that while the Treaty of Nice initially allocated 50 seats to Spain, it provided for a total European Parliament size of 732 which—as a result of Bulgaria and Romania not acceessing the European Union until 2007—allowed for Spain to be awarded four additional seats, which it maintained for the entire 2004–2009 term.
  2. Results for CiU (4.43%, 3 seats), CN–EP in the Basque Country and Navarre (1.94%, 0 seats), and BNG (1.65%, 1 seat) in the 1999 election.
  3. Results for IU–EUiA (5.77%, 4 seats) and LV–IP in Catalonia (0.74%, 0 seats) in the 1999 election.
  4. Results for CN–EP, not including the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country and Navarre (0.87%, 2 seats), LV–IP in Aragon (0.21%, 0 seats) and Andecha Astur (0.03%, 0 seats) in the 1999 election.
  5. Results for CE (3.20%, 2 seats), CN–EP in the Balearic Islands (0.10%, 0 seats), EU (0.07%, 0 seats) and PAS (0.07%, 0 seats) in the 1999 election.
  6. Koldo Gorostiaga, former EH MEP.

References
Opinion poll sources
  1. "Lo que pronosticaron los sondeos a pie de urna". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 June 2004.
  2. "Sondejos". Generalitat de Catalunya (in Catalan). Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  3. "Los sondeos dan la victoria a Borrell el 13-J aunque Mayor Oreja empieza a recortar diferencias". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 June 2004.
  4. "El PSOE amplía la ventaja del 14-M". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 6 June 2004.
  5. "El PSOE supera al PP en 4,7 puntos a una semana de las elecciones europeas". El Mundo (in Spanish). 6 June 2004.
  6. "El PSOE ganará las elecciones europeas y el PP recuperará parte de los votos perdidos el 14-M". ABC (in Spanish). 6 June 2004.
  7. "Preelectoral elecciones al Parlamento Europeo, 2004 (Estudio nº 2564. Mayo 2004)". CIS (in Spanish). 3 June 2004.
  8. "El PSOE revalidará y aumentará en las europeas su triunfo del 14-M, según el CIS". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 4 June 2004.
  9. "El PSOE, claro favorito para el 13-J". El País (in Spanish). 30 May 2004.
  10. "Informe. Encuesta España. Mayo 2004" (PDF). Instituto Opina (in Spanish). 30 May 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  11. "El PSOE arranca la campaña a las europeas con 8 puntos de ventaja sobre el PP". Cadena SER (in Spanish). 27 May 2004.
  12. "Elecciones Europeas 13 de junio de 2004". Cadena SER (in Spanish). 27 May 2004. Archived from the original on 5 June 2004. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  13. "Un 67% de los españoles respalda la retirada de las tropas de Irak". El Mundo (in Spanish). 26 April 2004.
  14. "Intención de voto. Encuesta El Mundo-Sigma Dos" (PDF). El Mundo (in Spanish). 10 February 2008.
  15. "Los socialistas, con ventaja en las elecciones europeas". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 25 April 2004.
  16. "EMPRESA: VOX PUBLICA". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 25 April 2004.
  17. "Un sondeo otorga la mayoría al centro-derecha en la Eurocámara". El País (in Spanish). 14 April 2004.
  18. "El PSOE ganará también las europeas". El País (in Spanish). 4 April 2004.
  19. "Informe. Encuesta España. Abril 2004" (PDF). Instituto Opina (in Spanish). 4 April 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  20. "Intención de voto 14 febrero 2001". Celeste-Tel (in Spanish). 14 February 2001. Archived from the original on 23 June 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  21. "Intención de voto 14 febrero 2001. Ficha técnica". Celeste-Tel (in Spanish). 14 February 2001. Archived from the original on 22 June 2003. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
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 Nice amending the Treaty on European Union, the Treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts". Act of 10 March 2001. 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. Marcos, Pilar (23 April 2004). "El PP designa a Mayor para que encabece su lista en las elecciones al Parlamento Europeo". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  6. "Borrell y Díez encabezarán la lista del PSOE para las elecciones europeas". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 21 April 2004. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  7. Garriga, Josep (15 January 2004). "Ignasi Guardans sustituirá a Gasòliba como 'número uno' de CiU en las europeas". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  8. Aymi, Oriol (25 April 2004). "CiU y ERC aprueban sus listas para las próximas elecciones europeas". El País (in Spanish). Tarragona. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  9. Elordi Cué, Carlos (22 April 2004). "La dirección de IU sanciona la lista europea con el apoyo del 68%". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  10. Agencias (8 May 2004). "Willy Meyer será el candidato de IU a las elecciones europeas" (in Spanish). Madrid: Cadena SER. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  11. Gastaminza, Genoveva (15 May 2004). "Una candidatura 'abertzale' de izquierdas y por la autodeterminación". El País (in Spanish). San Sebastián. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  12. "El BOE publica las 32 candidaturas para las europeas, incluida la de Herritarren Zerrenda". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 18 May 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  13. Martínez Lázaro, Julio (22 May 2004). "El Tribunal Supremo anula la candidatura de HZ a las elecciones europeas del 13-J". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  14. "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  15. "Elecciones Europeas 13 de junio de 2004". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  16. Junta Electoral Central: "Acuerdo de 29 de junio de 2004, 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 2004" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (158): 24477. 1 July 2004. ISSN 0212-033X.
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