2007 Aragonese regional election explained

Election Name:2007 Aragonese regional election
Country:Aragon
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:2003 Aragonese regional election
Previous Year:2003
Next Election:2011 Aragonese regional election
Next Year:2011
Seats For Election:All 67 seats in the Cortes of Aragon
Majority Seats:34
Opinion Polls:
  1. Opinion polls
Registered:1,017,085 0.2%
Turnout:676,491 (66.5%)
3.9 pp
Election Date:27 May 2007
Leader1:Marcelino Iglesias
Party1:Socialists' Party of Aragon
Leader Since1:15 February 1995
Leaders Seat1:Zaragoza
Last Election1:27 seats, 37.9%
Seats1:30
Seat Change1:3
Popular Vote1:276,415
Percentage1:41.1%
Swing1:3.2 pp
Leader2:Gustavo Alcalde
Party2:People's Party of Aragon
Leader Since2:18 May 2001
Leaders Seat2:Zaragoza
Last Election2:22 seats, 30.7%
Seats2:23
Seat Change2:1
Popular Vote2:208,642
Percentage2:31.1%
Swing2:0.4 pp
Leader3:José Ángel Biel
Party3:Aragonese Party
Leader Since3:2 June 2000
Leaders Seat3:Zaragoza
Last Election3:8 seats, 11.2%
Seats3:9
Seat Change3:1
Popular Vote3:81,135
Percentage3:12.1%
Swing3:0.9 pp
Leader4:Chesús Bernal
Party4:Chunta Aragonesista
Leader Since4:29 June 1986
Leaders Seat4:Zaragoza
Last Election4:9 seats, 13.7%
Seats4:4
Seat Change4:5
Popular Vote4:54,752
Percentage4:8.1%
Swing4:5.6 pp
Leader5:Adolfo Barrena
Party5:United Left of Aragon
Leader Since5:May 2002
Leaders Seat5:Zaragoza
Last Election5:1 seat, 3.1%
Seats5:1
Seat Change5:0
Popular Vote5:27,440
Percentage5:4.1%
Swing5:1.0 pp
Map Size:225px
President
Before Election:Marcelino Iglesias
Before Party:Socialists' Party of Aragon
After Election:Marcelino Iglesias
After Party:Socialists' Party of Aragon

The 2007 Aragonese regional election was held on Sunday, 27 May 2007, to elect the 7th Cortes of the autonomous community of Aragon. All 67 seats in the Cortes were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in 12 other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which had ruled Aragon since the 1999 election, saw an increase of three seats and obtained its best result since the 1983 election in terms of votes received. The People's Party (PP) also managed to slightly increase its vote share and gained one seat. On the other hand, the Aragonese Union (CHA) lost ground for the first time, losing 5 of its 9 seats and falling behind the Aragonese Party (PAR), which regained third place and increased its vote share for the first time since the 1987 election. United Left (IU) held its single seat and increased its vote share for the first time since 1995.

The PSOE and PAR renewed their coalition administration for a third consecutive time, resulting in Marcelino Iglesias being re-elected as regional President for a third term in office.

Overview

Electoral system

The Cortes of Aragon were the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Aragon, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Aragonese Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.[1] Voting for the Cortes was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Aragon and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

The 67 members of the Cortes of Aragon were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Huesca, Teruel and Zaragoza, with each being allocated an initial minimum of 13 seats and the remaining 28 being distributed in proportion to their populations (provided that the seat-to-population ratio in the most populated province did not exceed 2.75 times that of the least populated one).[1] [2]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Cortes constituency was entitled the following seats:[3]

SeatsConstituencies
35Zaragoza
18Huesca
14Teruel

The use of the D'Hondt method might result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the district magnitude.[4]

Election date

After legal amendments in 2007, fixed-term mandates were abolished, instead allowing the term of the Cortes of Aragon to expire after an early dissolution. 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 Aragon (BOA), with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication. The previous election was held on 25 May 2003, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 25 May 2007. The election decree was required to be published in the BOA no later than 1 May 2007, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes on Sunday, 24 June 2007.[1] [2] [5]

The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Cortes of Aragon and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since the previous one. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Cortes were to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called.[1]

The election to the Cortes of Aragon was officially triggered on 3 April 2007 after the publication of the election decree in the BOA, setting the election date for 27 May and scheduling for the chamber to reconvene on 21 June.[3]

Parliamentary composition

The table below shows the composition of the parliamentary groups in the General Junta at the time of the election call.[6]

Parliamentary composition in April 2007
GroupsPartiesLegislators
SeatsTotal
Socialist Parliamentary GroupPSOE2727
People's Parliamentary GroupPP2222
Aragonese Union Parliamentary GroupCHA99
Aragonese Parliamentary GroupPAR88
Mixed Parliamentary GroupIU11

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, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[2] [5]

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

CandidacyParties and
alliances
Leading candidateIdeologyPrevious result
Votes (%)Seats
PSOEMarcelino IglesiasSocial democracy37.94%
PPGustavo AlcaldeConservatism
Christian democracy
30.73%
CHAChesús BernalAragonese nationalism
Eco-socialism
13.71%
PARJosé Ángel BielRegionalism
Centrism
11.18%
IUAdolfo BarrenaSocialism
Communism
3.06%

Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results 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 poll.

Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 34 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Cortes of Aragon.

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Victory preferences

The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

Preferred President

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become president of the Government of Aragon.

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 27 May 2007 Cortes of Aragon election results →
Parties and alliancesPopular voteSeats
Votes%±ppTotal+/−
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)276,415 41.14 +3.2030 +3
People's Party (PP)208,642 31.06 +0.3323 +1
Aragonese Party (PAR)81,135 12.08 +0.909 +1
Aragonese Union (CHA)54,752 8.15 –5.564 –5
United Left of Aragon (IU)27,440 4.08 +1.021 ±0
The Greens–Federation of Independents of Aragon (LV–FIA)14,417 0.66 +0.060 ±0
Aragon United Citizens Party (pCUA)2,463 0.37 New0 ±0
Family and Life Party (PFyV)1,105 0.16 –0.020 ±0
Humanist Party (PH)577 0.09 +0.040 ±0
Blank ballots14,890 2.22 +0.13
Total671,836 67 ±0
Valid votes671,836 99.31 –0.05
Invalid votes4,655 0.69 +0.05
Votes cast / turnout676,491 66.51 –3.85
Abstentions340,594 33.49 +3.85
Registered voters1,017,085
Sources[20] [21]

Distribution by constituency

ConstituencyPSOEPPPARCHAIU
data-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"Sdata-sort-type="number"%data-sort-type="number"S
Huesca44.3929.2612.727.513.1
Teruel36.1631.1519.135.95.0
Zaragoza41.21531.51210.648.734.21
Total41.13031.12312.198.144.11
Sources

Aftermath

Investiture
Marcelino Iglesias (PSOE)
Ballot →5 July 2007
Required majority →34 out of 67
Abstentions
Absentees
Sources

References

Opinion poll sources
Other

Notes and References

  1. Ley Orgánica 5/2007, de 20 de abril, de reforma del Estatuto de Autonomía de Aragón . Organic Law . 5 . es . 20 April 2007 . 17 September 2017.
  2. Ley 2/1987, de 16 de febrero, Electoral de la Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón . Law . 2 . es . 12 February 1987 . 17 September 2017.
  3. Boletín Oficial del Estado . 80 . 3 April 2007 . 14481–14482 . 0212-033X . Decreto de 2 de abril de 2007, de la Presidencia del Gobierno de Aragón, por el que se convocan elecciones a las Cortes de Aragón . es.
  4. Web site: Gallagher . Michael . 30 July 2012 . Effective threshold in electoral systems . https://web.archive.org/web/20170730092518/http://www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/staff/michael_gallagher/ElSystems/Docts/effthresh.php . dead . 30 July 2017 . Trinity College, Dublin . 22 July 2017.
  5. Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General . Organic Law . 5 . es . 19 June 1985 . 28 December 2016.
  6. Web site: Elecciones a las Cortes de Aragón (desde 1983) . es . Historia Electoral.com . 24 December 2023.
  7. Web site: Sólo Navarra y Baleares podrían cambiar de gobierno, según el sondeo de RTVE y FORTA . es . Europa Press . 27 May 2007.
  8. Web site: El PSOE volverá a ganar y el PAR le disputará a CHA la tercera plaza . es . El Periódico de Aragón . 20 May 2007.
  9. Web site: El PSOE volvería a ganar las elecciones y podría pactar con PAR o CHA . es . 20 minutos . 20 May 2007.
  10. Web site: Vuelco electoral en Navarra, Baleares y Canarias y aplastante victoria del PP en Madrid . https://web.archive.org/web/20070520115817/http://actualidad.terra.es/especiales/elecciones-2007/articulo/vuelco_navarra_baleares_canarias_pp_1579088.htm . dead . 20 May 2007 . es . Terra . 17 May 2007 . 25 February 2021 .
  11. Web site: Encuestas autonómicas . https://web.archive.org/web/20090511132157/http://www.celeste-tel.es/es/encuestas-autonomicas.html . dead . 11 May 2009 . es . Celeste-Tel . 17 May 2007 . 25 February 2021 .
  12. Web site: Sondeo de Sigma Dos: El PSOE mantendría sus comunidades si revalida las coaliciones . es . El Mundo . 13 May 2007.
  13. Web site: Elecciones 27-M / Sondeo El Mundo-Sigma Dos . es . El Mundo . 12 May 2007.
  14. Web site: Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas, 2007. CA de Aragón (Estudio nº 2687. Abril-Mayo 2007) . es . CIS . 11 May 2007.
  15. Web site: La aritmética juega en contra del PSOE sólo en las islas Canarias . es . La Vanguardia . 12 May 2007.
  16. Web site: La intención de voto de los aragoneses se mantiene estable en relación a las elecciones autonómicas de 2003 . es . Aragón Hoy . 12 March 2007.
  17. Web site: El voto a las Cortes sigue estable pero el PP gana un diputado . es . El Periódico de Aragón . 13 March 2007.
  18. Web site: El PP y el PSOE mantendrán sus gobiernos autonómicos, aunque los socialistas bajan . es . El Mundo . 27 November 2006.
  19. Web site: El voto en las comunidades. Elecciones autonómicas 2007 . es . El Mundo . 27 November 2006.
  20. Web site: Cortes of Aragon election results, 27 May 2007 . 18 June 2007 . es . www.juntaelectoralcentral.es . Electoral Commission of Aragon . 26 September 2017.
  21. Web site: Aragon Electoral Archive. Cortes of Aragon election, 2007. Autonomous Community of Aragon . es . servicios.aragon.es . Government of Aragon . 26 September 2017.