1979 Spanish general election

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1979 Spanish general election
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← 1977 1 March 1979 1982 →

All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and all 208 seats in the Senate
176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
Opinion polls
Registered 26,836,490 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg13.8%
Turnout 18,259,192 (68.0%)
Red Arrow Down.svg10.8 pp
  First party Second party Third party
  170x170px Felipe González 1976 (cropped).jpg Santiago Carrillo 1978 (cropped).jpg
Leader Adolfo Suárez Felipe González Santiago Carrillo
Party UCD PSOE PCE
Leader since 3 May 1977 13 October 1974 3 July 1960
Leader's seat Madrid Madrid Madrid
Last election 165 seats, 34.4% 124 seats, 33.8%[lower-alpha 1] 20 seats, 9.3%
Seats won 168 121 23
Seat change Green Arrow Up Darker.svg3 Red Arrow Down.svg3 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg3
Popular vote 6,268,593 5,469,813 1,938,487
Percentage 34.8% 30.4% 10.8%
Swing Green Arrow Up Darker.svg0.4 pp Red Arrow Down.svg3.4 pp Green Arrow Up Darker.svg1.5 pp

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  Manuel Fraga 1982 (cropped).jpg 170x170px Piñar (cropped).jpg
Leader Manuel Fraga Jordi Pujol Blas Piñar
Party CD CiU UN
Leader since 9 October 1976 17 November 1974 1979
Leader's seat Madrid Barcelona Madrid
Last election 16 seats, 8.4%[lower-alpha 3] 13 seats, 3.8%[lower-alpha 4] 0 seats, 0.4%[lower-alpha 2]
Seats won 9 8 1
Seat change Red Arrow Down.svg7 Red Arrow Down.svg5 Green Arrow Up Darker.svg1
Popular vote 1,094,438 483,353 378,964
Percentage 6.1% 2.7% 2.1%
Swing Red Arrow Down.svg2.3 pp Red Arrow Down.svg1.1 pp Green Arrow Up Darker.svg1.7 pp

x315px
x315px

Prime Minister before election

Adolfo Suárez
UCD

Elected Prime Minister

Adolfo Suárez
UCD

The 1979 Spanish general election was held on Thursday, 1 March 1979, to elect the 1st Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as all 208 seats in the Senate.

This was the first election held under the Spanish Constitution of 1978. The Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) remained the largest party, winning 168 of the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 119 of the 208 seats in the Senate. As a result, Adolfo Suárez went on to form a minority government, depending on support from Manuel Fraga's Democratic Coalition, which experienced an electoral decline.

Overview

Electoral system

The Spanish Cortes Generales were envisaged as an imperfect bicameral system. The Congress of Deputies had greater legislative power than the Senate, having the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a Prime Minister and to override Senate vetoes by an absolute majority of votes. Nonetheless, the Senate possessed a few exclusive, yet limited in number functions—such as its role in constitutional amendment—which were not subject to the Congress' override.[1][2] Voting for the Cortes Generales was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen and in full enjoyment of their political rights.[3]

For the Congress of Deputies, 348 seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 3 percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Additionally, the use of the D'Hondt method might result in an effective threshold over three percent, depending on the district magnitude.[4] Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Spain. Each constituency was entitled to an initial minimum of two seats, with the remaining 248 fixed among the constituencies in proportion to their populations, at a rate of approximately one seat per each 144,500 inhabitants or fraction greater than 70,000. Ceuta and Melilla were allocated the two remaining seats, which were elected using plurality voting.[1][5][6]

For the Senate, 208 seats were elected using an open list partial block voting, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. In constituencies electing four seats, electors could vote for up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, for up to two candidates; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Each of the 47 peninsular provinces was allocated four seats, whereas for insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, districts were the islands themselves, with the larger—Majorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife—being allocated three seats each, and the smaller—Menorca, IbizaFormentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma—one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. The law also provided for by-elections to fill seats vacated up to two years into the legislature. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator per each million inhabitants.[1][5][6]

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election—needing to secure, in any case, the signature of 500 electors—. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within fifteen days of the election being called.[5]

Election date

The term of the Cortes elected in the 1977 election was not to be continued beyond 15 June 1981 in the event they were not dissolved earlier. An election was required to be held within from thirty to sixty days after the date of expiry of the Cortes Generales, setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes Generales on Friday, 14 August 1981.

The Prime Minister had the prerogative to dissolve both Houses at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no state of emergency was in force and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since the previous one. Additionally, both Houses were to be dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a Prime Minister within a two-month period from the first ballot.[1][6]

Parties and leaders

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

Parties and coalitions Ideology Candidate
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) Centrism Adolfo Suárez
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Democratic socialism, Marxism Felipe González
Communist Party of Spain (PCE) Eurocommunism Santiago Carrillo
Democratic Coalition (CD) Conservatism Manuel Fraga
Convergence and Union (CiU) Centrism, Catalan autonomism Jordi Pujol
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Christian democracy, Basque autonomism Xabier Arzalluz
Republican Left of CataloniaNational Front (ERC–FNC) Left-wing nationalism, Catalan regionalism Heribert Barrera
National Union (UN) Fascism, National Catholicism Blas Piñar
Basque Country Left (EE) Socialism, Basque nationalism Juan María Bandrés
bgcolor="Template:Regionalist Aragonese Party/meta/color"| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR) Centrism, Aragonese regionalism Hipólito Gómez de las Roces
Popular Unity (HB) Abertzale left, Basque independentism Francisco Letamendia
Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA) Social democracy, Andalusian nationalism Alejandro Rojas-Marcos
bgcolor="Template:Canarian People's Union/meta/color"| Canarian People's Union (UPC) Socialism, Canarian nationalism Fernando Sagaseta
Navarrese People's Union (UPN) Conservatism, Navarrese regionalism Jesús Aizpún

Opinion polls

Voting intention estimates

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. 176 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Congress of Deputies.

Color key:

      Exit poll

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Results

Congress of Deputies

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Summary of the 1 March 1979 Congress of Deputies election results
Parties and coalitions Popular vote Seats
Votes  % ±pp Total +/−
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) 6,268,593 34.84 +0.40 168 +3
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)1 5,469,813 30.40 –3.44 121 –3
Communist Party of Spain (PCE) 1,938,487 10.77 +1.44 23 +3
Democratic Coalition (CD) 1,094,438 6.08 –2.33 9 –7
Democratic Coalition (CD)2 1,060,330 5.89 –2.05 9 –6
Foral Union of the Basque Country (UFPV)3 34,108 0.19 –0.29 0 –1
Convergence and Union (CiU)4 483,353 2.69 –1.06 8 –5
National Union (UN)5 378,964 2.11 +1.54 1 +1
Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA) 325,842 1.81 New 5 +5
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) 296,597 1.65 +0.03 7 –1
bgcolor="Template:Party of Labour of Spain/meta/color"| Party of Labour of Spain (PTE)6 192,798 1.07 +0.40 0 ±0
Popular Unity (HB)7 172,110 0.96 +0.72 3 +3
rowspan="3" bgcolor="Template:Workers' Revolutionary Organization (Spain)/meta/color"| Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT) 138,487 0.77 +0.22 0 ±0
Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT)8 127,517 0.71 +0.29 0 ±0
Navarrese Left Union (UNAI) 10,970 0.06 –0.07 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Socialist Action Party (Spain)/meta/color"| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historical) (PSOEh)9 133,869 0.74 +0.05 0 ±0
Republican Left of CataloniaNational Front of Catalonia (ERC–FNC)10 123,452 0.69 –0.10 1 ±0
Basque Country Left (EE) 85,677 0.48 +0.14 1 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Communist Movement (Spain)/meta/color"| Communist MovementOrganization of Communist Left (MC–OIC) 84,856 0.47 +0.28 0 ±0
Galician National-Popular Bloc (BNPG) 60,889 0.34 +0.22 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Canarian People's Union/meta/color"| Canarian People's Union (UPC) 58,953 0.33 New 1 +1
bgcolor="Template:Left Bloc for National Liberation/meta/color"| Left Bloc for National Liberation (BEAN) 56,582 0.31 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Galician Unity/meta/color"| Galician Unity (PGPOGPSG)11 55,555 0.31 +0.16 0 ±0
Republican Left (IR) 55,384 0.31 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Carlist Party (1970)/meta/color"| Carlist Party (PC) 50,552 0.28 +0.23 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Communist Organization of Spain (Red Flag)/meta/color"| Communist OrganizationCommunist Unification (OCEBR–UCE) 47,937 0.27 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Workers' Communist Party (Spain)/meta/color"| Workers' Communist Party (PCT) 47,896 0.27 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Regionalist Aragonese Party/meta/color"| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR)12 38,042 0.21 +0.01 1 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Revolutionary Communist League (Spain)/meta/color"| Revolutionary Communist League (LCR)13 36,662 0.20 –0.02 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Falange Española de las JONS (Auténtica)/meta/color"| Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (Authentic) (FE–JONS(A)) 30,252 0.17 –0.08 0 ±0
Navarrese People's Union (UPN) 28,248 0.16 New 1 +1
bgcolor="Template:Socialist Party of Aragon/meta/color"| Coalition for Aragon (PSAr–PSDA) 19,220 0.11 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Nationalist Party of Castile and León/meta/color"| Nationalist Party of Castile and León (PANCAL) 16,016 0.09 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Liberal Party (Spain, 1976)/meta/color"| Liberal Party (PL) 15,774 0.09 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Valencian Regional Union/meta/color"| Valencian Regional Union (URV) 15,694 0.09 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Nationalist Party of the Valencian Country/meta/color"| Nationalist Party of the Valencian Country (PNPV) 13,828 0.08 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Spanish Ruralist Party/meta/color"| Spanish Ruralist Party (PRE) 10,324 0.06 New 0 ±0
Party of the Canarian Country (PPC) 10,099 0.06 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Socialist Party of the Islands/meta/color"| Socialists of Majorca and Menorca (SMiM) 10,022 0.06 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Syndicalist Party/meta/color"| Syndicalist Party (PSIN) 9,777 0.05 New 0 ±0
Union for the Freedom of Speech (ULE) 7,126 0.04 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Estat Català/meta/color"| Catalan State (EC) 6,328 0.04 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Cantonal Party/meta/color"| Cantonal Party (PCAN) 6,290 0.03 New 0 ±0
Independent Candidacy of the Countryside (CIC) 6,115 0.03 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Social Christian Democracy of Catalonia/meta/color"| Social Christian Democracy of Catalonia (DSCC) 4,976 0.03 –0.02 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Proverist Party/meta/color"| Proverist Party (PPr) 4,939 0.03 ±0.00 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Spanish Democratic Republican Action/meta/color"| Spanish Democratic Republican Action (ARDE) 4,826 0.03 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Communist Workers League (Spain)/meta/color"| Communist League (LC) 3,614 0.02 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Asturian Nationalist Council/meta/color"| Asturian Nationalist Council (CNA) 3,049 0.02 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Falange Española Auténtica/meta/color"| Authentic Spanish Phalanx (FEA) 2,736 0.02 New 0 ±0
Pro-Austerity Policy Political Party (PIPPA) 2,409 0.01 New 0 ±0
Workers and Peasants Party (POC) 2,314 0.01 New 0 ±0
Independent Candidates of Melilla (CIME) 1,820 0.01 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Falange Española Independiente/meta/color"| Falangist Unity–Independent Spanish Phalanx (UF–FI–AT) 1,188 0.01 New 0 ±0
bgcolor="Template:Falangist Mountain Unity/meta/color"| Spanish Phalanx–Falangist Unity (FE–UF) 876 0.00 New 0 ±0
Centre Independent Candidacy (INDEP) n/a n/a –0.16 0 –1
Blank ballots 57,267 0.32 +0.07
Total 17,990,915 350 ±0
Valid votes 17,990,915 98.53 –0.04
Invalid votes 268,277 1.47 +0.04
Votes cast / turnout 18,259,192 68.04 –10.79
Abstentions 8,577,298 31.96 +10.79
Registered voters 26,836,490
Sources[11][12]
Popular vote
UCD
  
34.84%
PSOE
  
30.40%
PCE
  
10.77%
CD
  
6.08%
CiU
  
2.69%
UN
  
2.11%
PSA–PA
  
1.81%
EAJ/PNV
  
1.65%
PTE
  
1.07%
HB
  
0.96%
ERCFNC
  
0.69%
EE
  
0.48%
UPC
  
0.33%
PAR
  
0.21%
UPN
  
0.16%
Others
  
5.43%
Blank ballots
  
0.32%
Seats
UCD
  
48.00%
PSOE
  
34.57%
PCE
  
6.57%
CD
  
2.57%
CiU
  
2.29%
EAJ/PNV
  
2.00%
PSA–PA
  
1.43%
HB
  
0.86%
UN
  
0.29%
ERCFNC
  
0.29%
EE
  
0.29%
UPC
  
0.29%
PAR
  
0.29%
UPN
  
0.29%

Senate

Summary of the 1 March 1979 Senate of Spain election results
Parties and coalitions Directly
elected
Reg.
app.
Total
Seats +/−
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) 118 +12 0 118
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) 117 +11 0 117
Union of the Centre of Catalonia (UCC) 1 +1 0 1
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)1 61 +8 0 61
rowspan="3" bgcolor="Template:New Agreement/meta/color"| New Agreement (PSCERC) 10 +2 0 10
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC)2 8 +1 0 8
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) 2 +1 0 2
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) 8 +2 0 8
Democratic Coalition (CD) 3 +1 0 3
People's Alliance (AP) 3 +1 0 3
Liberal Citizens Action (ACL) 0 ±0 0 0
Progressive Democratic Party (PDProg) 0 ±0 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Independent Candidacy/meta/color"| Group of Independent Electors (ADEI)3 3 –1 0 3
rowspan="3" bgcolor="Template:For the Agreement/meta/color"| For the Agreement (PSUCPTC) 1 –3 0 1
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC) 1 –3 0 1
Party of Labour of Catalonia (PTC) 0 ±0 0 0
Convergence and Union (CiU) 1 –1 0 1
Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) 1 –1 0 1
Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC) 0 ±0 0 0
Popular Unity (HB) 1 +1 0 1
bgcolor="Template:Socialist Party of Menorca/meta/color"| Menorcan Progressive Candidacy (PSMPSOEPCIBPTI) 1 +1 0 1
Independents (INDEP) 1 +1 0 1
Independent Progressives and Socialists (PSI) 0 –6 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Democratic Left (Spain)/meta/color"| Democratic Left (ID) 0 –5 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Aragonese Candidacy of Democratic Unity/meta/color"| Aragonese Candidacy of Democratic Unity (CAUD) 0 –2 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Galician Democratic Candidacy/meta/color"| Galician Democratic Candidacy (CDG) 0 –2 0 0
Communist Party of Spain (PCE) 0 –1 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Liberal Alliance (Spain)/meta/color"| Liberal Alliance (AL) 0 –1 0 0
Xirinacs Electoral Group (AE Xirinacs) 0 –1 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Euskadiko Socialistak Elkartze Indarra/meta/color"| Socialist Unification of the Basque Country (ESEI) 0 –1 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Regionalist Aragonese Party/meta/color"| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR) 0 –1 0 0
Basque Country Left (EE) 0 –1 0 0
bgcolor="Template:Majorera Assembly/meta/color"| Majorera Assembly (AM) 0 –1 0 0
Total 208 +1 0 208
Sources[12][13][14][15]
Seats
UCD
  
56.73%
PSOE
  
29.33%
PSC–ERC
  
4.81%
EAJ/PNV
  
3.85%
CD
  
1.44%
ADEI
  
1.44%
PSUC–PTC
  
0.48%
CiU
  
0.48%
HB
  
0.48%
CPMen
  
0.48%
INDEP
  
0.48%

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Adolfo Suárez (UCD)
Ballot → 30 March 1979
Required majority → 176 out of 350 YesY
Yes
183 / 350
No
149 / 350
Abstentions
8 / 350
Absentees
10 / 350
Sources[16]

1980 motion of no confidence

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Motion of no confidence
Felipe González (PSOE)
Ballot → 30 May 1980
Required majority → 176 out of 350 N
Yes
152 / 350
No
  • UCD (166)
166 / 350
Abstentions
21 / 350
Absentees
11 / 350
Sources[16]

1980 motion of confidence

Motion of confidence
Adolfo Suárez (UCD)
Ballot → 18 September 1980
Required majority → Simple YesY
Yes
180 / 350
No
164 / 350
Abstentions
2 / 350
Absentees
4 / 350
Sources[16]

1981 investiture

Investiture
Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo (UCD)
Ballot → 21 February 1981 23 February 1981 25 February 1981
Required majority → 176 out of 350 N Simple Simple YesY
Yes
  • UCD (165)
  • CD (9) (3 on 21 Feb)
  • CiU (9) (on 25 Feb)
  • PAR (1) (on 25 Feb)
  • UPN (1)
  • UA (1) (on 25 Feb)
169 / 350
Cancelled cross.svg Cancelled
(as a result of the
23-F coup d'etat
attempt)
186 / 350
No
158 / 350
158 / 350
Abstentions
  • CiU (9) (on 21 Feb)
  • CD (6) (on 21 Feb)
  • PAR (1) (on 21 Feb)
  • UA (1) (on 21 Feb)
17 / 350
0 / 350
Absentees
6 / 350
6 / 350
Sources[16]

Notes

  1. Aggregated data for PSOE and PSPUS in the 1977 election.
  2. Aggregated data for AN18 and FN in the 1977 election.
  3. Aggregated data for AP and DIV in the 1977 election.
  4. Aggregated data for PDC and UCiDCC in the 1977 election.
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 Within PSOE.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Undecided and/or abstentionists excluded.
  7. Within UCD.

Bibliography

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References

Opinion poll sources
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Other
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Spanish Constitution of 1978, 29 December 1978 Official State Gazette (in Español)
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  3. Carreras de Odriozola & Tafunell Sambola 2005, pp. 1077.
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  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Electoral Rules Decree of 1977, Royal Decree-Law No. 20 of 18 March 1977 Official State Gazette (in Español)
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