Basque regional election, 2016

Basque regional election, 2016
25 September 2016
All 75 seats in the Basque Parliament
38 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered 1,783,419 0.5%
Turnout 1,070,357 (60.0%)
3.9 pp

  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Iñigo Urkullu Maddalen Iriarte Pilar Zabala
Party EAJ/PNV EH Bildu Elkarrekin Podemos
Leader since 2 December 2007 24 August 2016 11 August 2016
Leader's seat Álava Gipuzkoa Gipuzkoa
Last election 27 seats, 34.2% 21 seats, 24.7% 0 seats, 3.7%[lower-alpha 1]
Seats won 28 18 11
Seat change 1 3 11
Popular vote 398,168 225,172 157,334
Percentage 37.4% 21.1% 14.8%
Swing 3.2 pp 3.6 pp 11.1 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Idoia Mendia Alfonso Alonso
Party PSE–EE (PSOE) PP
Leader since 20 September 2014 15 October 2015
Leader's seat Biscay Álava
Last election 16 seats, 18.9% 10 seats, 11.6%
Seats won 9 9
Seat change 7 1
Popular vote 126,420 107,771
Percentage 11.9% 10.1%
Swing 7.0 pp 1.5 pp
Constituency results map for the Basque Parliament
Lehendakari before election

Iñigo Urkullu
EAJ/PNV

 Elected Lehendakari

Iñigo Urkullu
EAJ/PNV

The 2016 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 25 September 2016, to elect the 11th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia.

Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu announced the election would be held one month ahead of schedule, on September 2016, as a result of the ongoing "climate of ungovernability" affecting national politics and intending to move the regional election away from a possible new general election and from the speculation surrounding the national government formation process.[1] In a domino effect, this prompted Galician President Alberto Núñez Feijóo to also set the Galician regional election, scheduled for autumn 2016, for the same date.[2]

Overview

Background

On 1 March 2016, Sortu Secretary-General Arnaldo Otegi left the Logroño prison after serving his full prison sentence imposed for attempting to reorganize the banned Batasuna party. In addition to the prison sentence, Otegi had been sentenced to disqualification from holding any public office until 2021.[3] Despite this, on 24 May the EH Bildu coalition proclaimed him as its candidate for lehendakari, on grounds that the ruling did not specify what specific charges affected his disqualification.[4] After the official announcement of elections for 25 September, the various parties began to express their opinions on the issue.

The Basque Nationalist Party and Podemos announced that they would challenge his candidacy because they thought it should be up to the Basque citizens to decide whether Otegi deserved to be elected or not;[5] the Socialist Party of the Basque Country, meanwhile, said that it would not challenge him either because the decision should be taken by justice.[6] The People's Party, Citizens and Union, Progress and Democracy announced that, following the publication of electoral lists, they would go to the prosecution to challenge Otegi's candidacy.[7]

On August 24 the Gipuzkoa Provincial Electoral Board ruled that Otegi could not be a candidate in the lists of EH Bildu for being barred to stand for election as part of his sentence.[8] The journalist Maddalen Iriarte, who was second in EH Bildu Gipuzkoa's list, went on to top the list as provided for in Article 65.2 of the Electoral Law of the Basque Country.[9]

Electoral system

The Basque Parliament was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of the Basque Country, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Basque Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a Lehendakari.[10] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Additionally, Basques abroad were required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a registration system known in Spain as a "begged vote" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado).[11]

The 75 members of the Basque Parliament 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.[12] Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa. Each constituency was allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each, to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in Parliament as required under the regional Statute of Autonomy.[10][13] This meant that Álava was allocated the same number of seats as Biscay and Gipuzkoa, despite their populations being, as of 1 July 2016: 322,801, 1,134,041 and 708,288, respectively.[14]

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 1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election. 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 ten days of the election being called.[13][15][16]

Election date

The term of the Basque Parliament expired four years after the date of its previous election, unless it was dissolved earlier. The election Decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country, with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication. The previous election was held on 21 October 2012, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 21 October 2016. The election Decree was required to be published no later than 27 September 2016, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Sunday, 20 November 2016.[10][13]

The Lehendakari had the prerogative to dissolve the Basque Parliament at any given time and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a Lehendakari within a sixty-day period from the Parliament re-assembly, the Parliament was to be dissolved and a fresh election called.[17]

Parties and leaders

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

Parties and coalitions Ideology Candidate
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Christian democracy, Basque autonomism Iñigo Urkullu
Basque Country Unite (EH Bildu) Abertzale left, Basque independentism Maddalen Iriarte
Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE (PSOE)) Social democracy Idoia Mendia
People's Party (PP) Conservatism, Christian democracy Alfonso Alonso
United We Can (Podemos–IU–eQuo) (Elkarrekin Podemos) Direct democracy, Left-wing populism Pilar Zabala
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's) Liberalism Nicolás de Miguel

Campaign

Slogans

Parties and coalitions Original English translation Refs
EAJ/PNV Eraiki Euskadi. Mira el futuro "Build the Basque Country. Look to the future" [18][19]
EH Bildu Hemen eta orain. Denon herria/Aquí y ahora. Un país compartido "Here and now. A shared country" [18][20]
PSE–EE (PSOE) Juntos/Batera "Together" [18][21]
PP Alonso, la voz que nos une "Alonso, the voice that unites us" [18][22]
Elkarrekin Podemos Por Euskadi. Jendearekin "For the Basque Country. With the people" [18][23]
C's Europeos del Sur, españoles del Norte, vascos de centro "Europeans from the South, Spaniards from the North, Basques of centre" [18][24]

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. 38 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Basque Parliament.

Color key:

  Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls   Exit poll

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 25 September 2016 Basque Parliament election results →
Parties and coalitions Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) 398,16837.36+3.20 28+1
Basque Country Unite (EH Bildu) 225,17221.13–3.54 18–3
United We Can (Podemos–IU–eQuo) (Elkarrekin Podemos)1 157,33414.76+11.04 11+11
Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE (PSOE)) 126,42011.86–7.03 9–7
People's Party (PP) 107,77110.11–1.48 9–1
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's) 21,4772.02New 0±0
Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA/ATTKAA) 8,5890.81+0.45 0±0
Let's Win the Basque Country: Yes We Can (Ganemos Irabazi) 6,0490.57New 0±0
Zero Cuts–Green Group (Recortes Cero–GV) 2,7470.26New 0±0
Family and Life Party (PFyV) 1,8360.17+0.10 0±0
Blank Seats (EB/AZ) 1,2880.12–0.90 0±0
Vox (Vox) 7710.07New 0±0
Basque Communists–Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (EK–PCPE) 4660.04±0.00 0±0
Welcome (Ongi Etorri) 3740.04+0.03 0±0
Humanist Party (PH) 3510.03–0.07 0±0
Navarrese Freedom (Ln) 1910.02New 0±0
Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) n/an/a–1.91 0–1
Blank ballots 6,6810.63–0.67
Total 1,065,685 75±0
Valid votes 1,065,68599.56+0.37
Invalid votes 4,6720.44–0.37
Votes cast / turnout 1,070,35760.02–3.94
Abstentions 713,06239.98+3.94
Registered voters 1,783,419
Sources[25][26]
Popular vote
EAJ/PNV
 
 37.36%
EH Bildu
 
 21.13%
E. Podemos
 
 14.76%
PSE–EE (PSOE)
 
 11.86%
PP
 
 10.11%
C's
 
 2.02%
Others
 
 2.13%
Blank ballots
 
 0.63%
Seats
EAJ/PNV
 
 37.33%
EH Bildu
 
 24.00%
E. Podemos
 
 14.67%
PSE–EE (PSOE)
 
 12.00%
PP
 
 12.00%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency PNV EH Bildu EPodemos PSE–EE PP
% S % S % S % S % S
Álava 28.0 8 17.8 5 16.1 4 12.9 3 18.5 5
Biscay 41.8 11 17.5 5 14.8 4 11.7 3 9.7 2
Gipuzkoa 34.0 9 28.7 8 14.2 3 11.8 3 7.2 2
Total 37.6 28 21.3 18 14.9 11 11.9 9 10.2 9
Sources[25][26]

Aftermath

Investiture
Ballot → 23 November 2016 24 November 2016
Required majority → 38 out of 75 Simple
37 / 75
 ☒
37 / 75
 ☑
18 / 75
 ☒
18 / 75
 ☒
20 / 75
20 / 75
Absentees
0 / 75
0 / 75
Sources[26]

Notes

  1. ↑ Aggregated data for IU–LV and EB–EE in the 2012 election.

References

Opinion poll sources
  1. ↑ "Sondeo EiTB 25S: PNV ganaría con EH Bildu segunda y Podemos tercera". EiTB (in Spanish). 2016-09-25.
  2. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas), Septiembre 2016. Sondeo Gizaker (3)". Electograph (in Spanish). 25 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "El PNV acaricia una victoria mayor de la esperada". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 17 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "EiTB Focus: Un puñado de votos podría cambiar el Parlamento". EiTB (in Spanish). 19 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas), Septiembre 2016. Sondeo Gizaker (2)". Electograph (in Spanish). 19 September 2016.
  6. ↑ "El PNV sube pero necesitará pactar con el PSE o el PP". ABC (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Encuesta socio-electoral en País Vasco". GAD3 (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "El PNV ganaría las elecciones vascas pero tendrá que pactar". El País (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "Sondeo preelectoral en el País Vasco". El País (in Spanish). 17 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Elecciones en el País Vasco: victoria del PNV en un escenario de pactos". Metroscopia (in Spanish). 19 September 2016.
  11. ↑ "Urkullu se consolida y podrá gobernar con el PSOE o el PP". El Mundo (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "El PSOE se hunde en País Vasco y queda tras En Marea en Galicia". La Razón (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "Estimación de voto en País Vasco" (PDF). La Razón (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  14. ↑ "Estimación de voto en País Vasco (Por provincias)" (PDF). La Razón (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas), Septiembre 2016. Sondeo Ikerfel". Electograph (in Spanish). 18 September 2016.
  16. ↑ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas (Septiembre 2016)" (PDF). Eusko Jaurlaritza (in Spanish). 14 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas), Septiembre 2016. Sondeo Ikertalde / Gob. Vasco". Electograph (in Spanish). 14 September 2016.
  18. ↑ "EiTB Focus: El PNV ganaría el 25S; EH Bildu segunda y Podemos, tercera". EiTB (in Spanish). 7 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas), Septiembre 2016. Sondeo Gizaker". Electograph (in Spanish). 7 September 2016.
  20. ↑ "Preelectoral del País Vasco. Elecciones autonómicas 2016 (Estudio nº 3152. Agosto-Septiembre 2016)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 8 September 2016.
  21. ↑ "El PP gana en Galicia y el PNV en Euskadi". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 9 September 2016.
  22. ↑ "Unidos Podemos ganaría las generales en Euskadi en votos y escaños". EiTB (in Spanish). 16 June 2016.
  23. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas y Generales), Junio 2016. Sondeo Gizaker". Electograph (in Spanish). 16 June 2016.
  24. ↑ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Generales y Autonómicas (Junio 2016)" (PDF). Eusko Jaurlaritza (in Spanish). 9 June 2016.
  25. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas y Generales), Junio 2016. Sondeo Ikertalde / GPS G. Vasco". Electograph (in Spanish). 9 June 2016.
  26. ↑ "BCO Euskadi. Elecciones Autonómicas y Generales del 26 de Junio". SyM Consulting (in Spanish). 29 April 2016.
  27. ↑ "Unidos Podemos ganaría en votos empatando a escaños con el PNV". EiTB (in Spanish). 19 May 2016.
  28. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas y Generales), Mayo 2016. Sondeo Gizaker". Electograph (in Spanish). 19 May 2016.
  29. ↑ "El PNV ganaría las elecciones; Podemos y EH Bildu empatarían". EiTB (in Spanish). 21 April 2016.
  30. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO (Autonómicas y Generales), Abril 2016. Sondeo Gizaker". Electograph (in Spanish). 21 April 2016.
  31. ↑ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas (Febrero 2016)" (PDF). Eusko Jaurlaritza (in Spanish). 16 February 2016.
  32. ↑ "PAÍS VASCO, Febrero 2016. Sondeo Ikertalde / GPS Gobierno Vasco". Electograph (in Spanish). 16 February 2016.
  33. ↑ "Euskobarómetro Enero 2016. Estimación Electoral Parlamento Vasco" (PDF). EHU (in Spanish). 18 March 2016.
  34. ↑ "Elecciones vascas: PNV 30% (22-23), Podemos (21-22), Bildu 19% (13-14), PSE-EE 12.8% (10), PP 8.3% (6), IU 3% (0-1)". Twitter (in Spanish). 17 January 2016.
  35. ↑ "Euskobarómetro Mayo 2015. Estimación Electoral" (PDF). EHU (in Spanish). 30 July 2015.
  36. ↑ "Euskobarómetro Noviembre 2014. Estimaciones Electorales". EHU (in Spanish). 26 December 2014.
  37. ↑ "Proyección del resultado de las europeas en los parlamentos autonómicos". El País (in Spanish). 31 May 2014.
  38. ↑ "Euskobarómetro. Estimaciones Electorales del Euskobarómetro de Mayo de 2014 para el Parlamento Vasco". EHU (in Spanish). 4 July 2014.
  39. ↑ "Euskobarómetro. Estimaciones Electorales del Euskobarómetro "Noviembre 2013" para el Parlamento Vasco". EHU (in Spanish). 27 December 2013.
  40. ↑ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas (Noviembre 2013)" (PDF). Eusko Jaurlaritza (in Spanish). 21 November 2013.
  41. ↑ "Intención directa de voto y estimaciones de voto válido". Electómetro (in Spanish). 27 May 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  42. ↑ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas (Mayo 2013)" (PDF). Eusko Jaurlaritza (in Spanish). 27 April 2013.
Other
  1. ↑ "Urkullu moves forward the Basque election to 25 September" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2016-07-29.
  2. ↑ "Feijóo sets the Galician election for 25 September" (in Spanish). El País. 2016-08-01.
  3. ↑ "Arnaldo Otegi leaves the Logroño prison after six and a half years imprisoned" (in Spanish). El País. 2016-03-01.
  4. ↑ "EH Bildu membership chooses Otegi as lehendakari candidate" (in Spanish). El País. 2016-05-24.
  5. ↑ "Prosecutors emphasize that Otegi is "ineligible"" (in Spanish). El País. 2016-08-12.
  6. ↑ "The PSE–EE will not challenge Otegi's candidacy" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2016-08-11.
  7. ↑ "PP, UPyD and C's will challenge Otegi's list in defense of the victims of terrorism" (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2016-08-09.
  8. ↑ "The Board ratifies that Otegi cannot be candidate and bars him from contesting the Basque election" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 2016-08-29.
  9. ↑ "The Electoral Board rules that Otegi cannot be candidate for being disqualified" (in Spanish). El País. 2016-08-24.
  10. 1 2 3 "Statute of Autonomy for the Basque Country of 1979". Organic Law No. 3 of 18 December 1979. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  11. ↑ Reig Pellicer, Naiara (16 December 2015). "Spanish elections: Begging for the right to vote". cafebabel.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  12. ↑ Gallagher, Michael (30 July 2012). "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Trinity College, Dublin. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 "Basque Parliament Elections Law of 1990". Law No. 5 of 15 June 1990. Official Gazette of the Basque Country (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  14. ↑ "Series detalladas desde 2002. Resultados por Provincias. Población residente por fecha, sexo y edad". ine.es (in Spanish). National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  15. ↑ "General Electoral System Organic Law of 1985". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  16. ↑ "Representation of the people Institutional Act". juntaelectoralcentral.es. Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  17. ↑ "Government Law of 1981". Law No. 7 of 30 June 1981. Official Gazette of the Basque Country (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "PNV, Elkarrekin Podemos y C's abren campaña en Vitoria, EH Bildu y PSE en Bilbao y el PP en San Sebastián". 20minutos (in Spanish). Bilbao. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  19. ↑ ""Eraiki Euskadi. Euskadi mira al futuro" será el eslogan de EAJ-PNV para las Elecciones Vascas". EAJ/PNV (in Spanish). 29 August 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  20. ↑ "Bildu, todo con Otegi pero sin Otegi". RTVE (in Spanish). 8 September 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  21. ↑ "El PSE se presenta como la única garantía de acuerdos plurales en Euskadi". El Mundo (in Spanish). Bilbao. 24 August 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  22. ↑ Albin, Danilo (16 August 2016). "El PP alienta el fantasma del "Brexit vasco" para buscar votos en Euskadi". Público (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  23. ↑ Rodríguez Viñas, Sergio (1 September 2016). "Elkarrekin Podemos acusa a Urkullu de "minusvalorar los problemas"". El Mundo (in Spanish). Bilbao. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  24. ↑ Mingorance, Andrea (10 August 2016). "Ciudadanos apela a los vascos de centro para enfrentarse al difícil reto de Euskadi". Diario Crítico (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  25. 1 2 "Election Results Archive". euskadi.eus (in Spanish). Basque Government. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  26. 1 2 3 "Basque Parliament elections since 1980". historiaelectoral.com (in Spanish). Electoral History. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
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