| Election Name: | 1979 Spanish general election |
| Country: | Spain |
| Flag Year: | 1977 |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1977 Spanish general election |
| Previous Year: | 1977 |
| Next Election: | 1982 Spanish general election |
| Next Year: | 1982 |
| Seats For Election: | 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: | Opinion polling for the 1979 Spanish general election |
| Registered: | 26,836,490 13.8% |
| Turnout: | 18,259,192 (68.0%) 10.8 pp |
| Election Date: | 1 March 1979 |
| Leader1: | Adolfo Suárez |
| Party1: | Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) |
| Leader Since1: | 3 May 1977 |
| Leaders Seat1: | Madrid |
| Last Election1: | 165 seats, 34.4% |
| Seats1: | 168 |
| Seat Change1: | 3 |
| Popular Vote1: | 6,268,593 |
| Percentage1: | 34.8% |
| Swing1: | 0.4 pp |
| Leader2: | Felipe González |
| Party2: | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party |
| Leader Since2: | 13 October 1974 |
| Leaders Seat2: | Madrid |
| Last Election2: | 124 seats, 33.8% |
| Seats2: | 121 |
| Seat Change2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 5,469,813 |
| Percentage2: | 30.4% |
| Swing2: | 3.4 pp |
| Leader3: | Santiago Carrillo |
| Party3: | Communist Party of Spain |
| Leader Since3: | 3 July 1960 |
| Leaders Seat3: | Madrid |
| Last Election3: | 20 seats, 9.3% |
| Seats3: | 23 |
| Seat Change3: | 3 |
| Popular Vote3: | 1,938,487 |
| Percentage3: | 10.8% |
| Swing3: | 1.5 pp |
| Leader4: | Manuel Fraga |
| Party4: | Democratic Coalition (Spain) |
| Leader Since4: | 9 October 1976 |
| Leaders Seat4: | Madrid |
| Last Election4: | 16 seats, 8.4% |
| Seats4: | 9 |
| Seat Change4: | 7 |
| Popular Vote4: | 1,094,438 |
| Percentage4: | 6.1% |
| Swing4: | 2.3 pp |
| Leader5: | Jordi Pujol |
| Party5: | Convergence and Union |
| Leader Since5: | 17 November 1974 |
| Leaders Seat5: | Barcelona |
| Last Election5: | 13 seats, 3.8% |
| Seats5: | 8 |
| Seat Change5: | 5 |
| Popular Vote5: | 483,353 |
| Percentage5: | 2.7% |
| Swing5: | 1.1 pp |
| Leader6: | Xabier Arzalluz |
| Party6: | Basque Nationalist Party |
| Leader Since6: | 1977 |
| Leaders Seat6: | Guipúzcoa |
| Last Election6: | 8 seats, 1.6% |
| Seats6: | 7 |
| Seat Change6: | 1 |
| Popular Vote6: | 296,597 |
| Percentage6: | 1.6% |
| Swing6: | 0.0 pp |
| Prime Minister | |
| Posttitle: | Prime Minister after election |
| Before Election: | Adolfo Suárez |
| Before Party: | Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) |
| After Election: | Adolfo Suárez |
| After Party: | Union of the Democratic Centre (Spain) |
The 1979 Spanish general election was held on Thursday, 1 March 1979, to elect the 1st 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.
The Spanish 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 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.[3] [4]
For the Congress of Deputies, 348 seats 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 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.[3] [5] The use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.[6]
As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled to the following seats:[7] [8]
| Seats | Constituencies | |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Barcelona | |
| 32 | Madrid | |
| 15 | Valencia | |
| 12 | Seville | |
| 10 | Biscay, Oviedo | |
| 9 | Alicante, La Coruña | |
| 8 | Cádiz, Málaga, Murcia, Pontevedra, Zaragoza | |
| 7 | Badajoz, Córdoba, Granada, Guipúzcoa, Jaén, Santa Cruz de Tenerife | |
| 6 | Balearics, Las Palmas, León | |
| 5 | Almería, Cáceres, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Gerona, Huelva, Lugo, Navarre, Orense, Santander, Tarragona, Toledo, Valladolid | |
| 4 | Álava, Albacete, Burgos, Cuenca, Lérida, Logroño, Salamanca, Zamora | |
| 3 | Ávila, Guadalajara, Huesca, Palencia, Segovia, Soria, Teruel |
For the Senate, 208 seats were elected using an open list partial block voting system, 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, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma—one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator per each million inhabitants.[9] [10] The law also provided for by-elections to fill Senate seats vacated up to two years into the legislature.[11]
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.[12] An election was required to be held within from 30 to 60 days after the date of expiry of the Cortes Generales,[3] setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes Generales on Friday, 14 August 1981.
The prime minister had the prerogative to dissolve both chambers 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 chambers 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.[13] Barred this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections for the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.
The Spanish Cortes were officially dissolved on 1 January 1979 after the publication of the dissolution decree in the Official State Gazette (BOE), setting the election date for 1 March and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 23 March (for the Congress) and 27 March (for the Senate).[8]
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 fifteen days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one permille—and, in any case, 500 signatures—of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[14]
Below is a list of the main parties and coalitions which contested the election:
See main article: Opinion polling for the 1979 Spanish general election.
| Parties and alliances | 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT) | 138,487 | 0.77 | +0.22 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Navarrese Left Union (UNAI) | 10,970 | 0.06 | –0.07 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historical) (PSOEh)9 | 133,869 | 0.74 | +0.05 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Republican Left of Catalonia–National 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 | ||
| Communist Movement–Organization 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 | ||
| Canarian People's Union (UPC) | 58,953 | 0.33 | New | 1 | +1 | ||
| Left Bloc for National Liberation (BEAN) | 56,582 | 0.31 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Galician Unity (PG–POG–PSG)11 | 55,555 | 0.31 | +0.16 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Republican Left (IR) | 55,384 | 0.31 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Carlist Party (PC) | 50,552 | 0.28 | +0.23 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Communist Organization–Communist Unification (OCEBR–UCE) | 47,937 | 0.27 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Workers' Communist Party (PCT) | 47,896 | 0.27 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR)12 | 38,042 | 0.21 | +0.01 | 1 | ±0 | ||
| Revolutionary Communist League (LCR)13 | 36,662 | 0.20 | –0.02 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Coalition for Aragon (PSAr–PSDA) | 19,220 | 0.11 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Nationalist Party of Castile and León (PANCAL) | 16,016 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Liberal Party (PL) | 15,774 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Valencian Regional Union (URV) | 15,694 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Nationalist Party of the Valencian Country (PNPV) | 13,828 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Ruralist Party (PRE) | 10,324 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Party of the Canarian Country (PPC) | 10,099 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Socialists of Majorca and Menorca (SMiM) | 10,022 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Syndicalist Party (PSIN) | 9,777 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Union for the Freedom of Speech (ULE) | 7,126 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Catalan State (EC) | 6,328 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Cantonal Party (PCAN) | 6,290 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent Candidacy of the Countryside (CIC) | 6,115 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Social Christian Democracy of Catalonia (DSCC) | 4,976 | 0.03 | –0.02 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Proverist Party (PPr) | 4,939 | 0.03 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Democratic Republican Action (ARDE) | 4,826 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Communist League (LC) | 3,614 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Asturian Nationalist Council (CNA) | 3,049 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| 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 | ||
| Falangist Unity–Independent Spanish Phalanx (UF–FI–AT) | 1,188 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Phalanx–Falangist Unity (FE–UF) | 876 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Centre Independent Candidacy (CIC) | 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[15] [16] | |||||||
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | |||
| Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) | 16,374,726 | 32.60 | +3.22 | 119 | +13 | ||
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)1 | 12,762,128 | 25.41 | –4.28 | 60 | –1 | ||
| Communist Party of Spain (PCE) | 4,407,905 | 8.78 | +6.82 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Democratic Coalition (CD) | 3,213,680 | 6.40 | –2.82 | 3 | +1 | ||
| Foral Union of the Basque Country (UFPV)3 | 45,707 | 0.09 | –0.43 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| New Agreement (PSC–ERC)4 | 2,708,504 | 5.39 | n/a | 10 | +2 | ||
| For the Agreement (PSUC–PTC)4 | 1,832,941 | 3.65 | n/a | 1 | –3 | ||
| Convergence and Union (CiU)5 | 1,387,176 | 2.76 | +0.21 | 1 | –1 | ||
| National Union (UN)6 | 1,089,883 | 2.17 | +0.60 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA) | 1,026,345 | 2.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)7 | 843,452 | 1.68 | –1.63 | 8 | –2 | ||
| Popular Unity (HB)8 | 465,852 | 0.93 | +0.74 | 1 | +1 | ||
| Party of Labour of Spain (PTE)9 | 412,782 | 0.82 | +0.57 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT) | 290,967 | 0.58 | –0.04 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Navarrese Left Union (UNAI) | 14,510 | 0.03 | –0.17 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Communist Movement–Organization of Communist Left (MC–OIC) | 257,830 | 0.51 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Basque Country Left (EE) | 209,107 | 0.42 | +0.18 | 0 | –1 | ||
| Republican Left (IR) | 205,512 | 0.41 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Galician National-Popular Bloc (BNPG) | 196,920 | 0.39 | +0.07 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historical) (PSOEh)11 | 179,519 | 0.36 | –0.82 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Galician Unity (PG–POG–PSG) | 177,549 | 0.35 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Navarrese Unity (UNA) | 137,275 | 0.27 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Phalanx–Falangist Unity (FE–UF) | 130,616 | 0.26 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR)12 | 117,150 | 0.23 | –0.37 | 0 | –1 | ||
| Valencian Regional Union (URV) | 116,386 | 0.23 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Canarian People's Union (UPC) | 115,878 | 0.23 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Liberal Party (PL) | 110,347 | 0.22 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Revolutionary Communist League (LCR) | 109,118 | 0.22 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC) | 90,065 | 0.18 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Navarrese People's Union (UPN) | 84,289 | 0.17 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Carlist Party (PC) | 84,028 | 0.17 | +0.10 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Democratic Republican Action (ARDE) | 73,308 | 0.15 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (Authentic) (FE–JONS(A)) | 70,659 | 0.14 | +0.14 | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Group of Independent Electors (ADEI)13 | 63,257 | 0.13 | –0.02 | 3 | –1 | ||
| Left Bloc for National Liberation (BEAN) | 54,055 | 0.11 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Authentic Spanish Phalanx (FEA) | 49,190 | 0.10 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Coalition for Aragon (PSAr–PSDA) | 48,031 | 0.10 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Communist Organization–Communist Unification (OCEBR–UCE) | 41,656 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Spanish Ruralist Party (PRE) | 40,086 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Union for the Freedom of Speech (ULE) | 38,968 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Pro-Austerity Policy Political Party (PIPPA) | 36,280 | 0.07 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 32,055 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Social Christian Democracy of Catalonia (DSCC) | 29,367 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Galician Democratic Candidacy (CDG) | 26,426 | 0.05 | –1.11 | 0 | –3 | ||
| Party of the Canarian Country (PPC) | 25,960 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 21,891 | 0.04 | New | 1 | +1 | ||
| Socialist Party of Majorca (PSM) | 19,753 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Workers' Communist Party (PCT) | 17,888 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Salamancan Regionalist Candidacy (CRS) | 17,019 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 14,758 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Menorcan Progressive Candidacy (PSM–PSOE–PCIB–PTI) | 11,745 | 0.02 | New | 1 | +1 | ||
| Independent Candidacy of the Countryside (CIC) | 10,333 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Nationalist Party of Castile and León (PANCAL) | 8,795 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Asturian Nationalist Council (CNA) | 8,309 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Entirely Anti-Partisan (EA) | 7,931 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent Progressive Candidacy (CPI) | 7,763 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 7,266 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| New National Left (NIN) | 7,053 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Catalan State (EC) | 6,998 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Riojan Autonomy (AR) | 6,835 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 5,263 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Zamorans for Zamora–Independent Candidacy (ZZ) | 5,125 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| National Front of Catalonia (FNC) | 4,566 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Majorera Assembly (AM) | 4,458 | 0.01 | ±0.00 | 0 | –1 | ||
| Spanish Communist Workers' Party (PCOE) | 3,431 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 3,416 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Canarian Nationalist Party (PNC) | 3,141 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Independent (INDEP) | 1,698 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Proverist Party (PPr) | 242 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 | ||
| Xirinacs Electoral Group (AE Xirinacs) | n/a | n/a | –1.06 | 0 | –1 | ||
| Aragonese Candidacy of Democratic Unity (CAUD) | n/a | n/a | –1.04 | 0 | –3 | ||
| Blank ballots | 259,613 | 1.48 | |||||
| Total | 50,232,518 | 208 | +1 | ||||
| Valid votes | 17,588,988 | 97.20 | |||||
| Invalid votes | 507,434 | 2.80 | |||||
| Votes cast / turnout | 18,096,422 | 67.43 | |||||
| Abstentions | 8,740,068 | 32.57 | |||||
| Registered voters | 23,583,762 | ||||||
| Sources[17] [18] | |||||||
See also: Third government of Adolfo Suárez.
| Investiture Adolfo Suárez (UCD) | |||
| Ballot → | 30 March 1979 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 176 out of 350 | ||
| Sources[19] | |||
| Motion of no confidence Felipe González (PSOE) | |||
| Ballot → | 30 May 1980 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 176 out of 350 | ||
| Sources | |||
| Motion of confidence Adolfo Suárez (UCD) | |||
| Ballot → | 18 September 1980 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | Simple | ||
| Sources | |||
| Investiture Leopoldo Calvo-Sotelo (UCD) | |||||
| Ballot → | 21 February 1981 | 23 February 1981 | 25 February 1981 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 176 out of 350 | Simple | |||
| Sources | |||||