1979 Spanish local elections
1979 Spanish local elections Registered 26,591,013 Turnout 16,621,868 (62.5%)
First party
Second party
Third party
Leader
Adolfo Suárez
Felipe González
Santiago Carrillo
Party
UCD
PSOE
PCE
Leader since
3 May 1977
13 October 1974
3 July 1960
Seats won
29,288
12,069
3,725
Popular vote
5,067,634
4,621,672
2,142,049
Percentage
30.9%
28.2%
13.0%
Fourth party
Fifth party
Sixth party
Leader
Jordi Pujol
Manuel Fraga
Carlos Garaikoetxea
Party
CiU
CD
EAJ/PNV
Leader since
19 September 1978
9 October 1976
1977
Seats won
1,782
2,383
1,093
Popular vote
509,128
504,780
361,160
Percentage
3.1%
3.1%
2.2%
The 1979 Spanish local elections were held on Tuesday, 3 April 1979, to elect all 67,505 councillors in the 7,870 municipalities of Spain and all 1,152 seats in 43 provincial deputations .[1] [2] [3] The elections were held simultaneously with local elections in the four foral deputations of the Basque Country and Navarre and the ten island councils in the Balearic and Canary Islands .
While the national ruling Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) emerged as the largest party overall, an alliance between the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) saw municipal control over the main urban areas switching to left-wing parties.[4] [5]
Electoral system
Municipal elections
Municipalities in Spain were local corporations with independent legal personality . They had a governing body, the municipal council or corporation , composed of a mayor , deputy mayors and a plenary assembly of councillors. Voting for the local assemblies was on the basis of universal suffrage , with all nationals over eighteen, registered in the corresponding municipality and in full enjoyment of all political rights entitled to vote. The mayor was in turn elected by the plenary assembly, with a legal clause providing for the candidate of the most-voted party to be automatically elected to the post in the event no other candidate was to gather an absolute majority of votes.
Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation , with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each local council. Councillors were allocated to municipal councils based on the following scale:
Population
Councillors
<250
5
251–1,000
7
1,001–2,000
9
2,001–5,000
11
5,001–10,000
13
10,001–20,000
17
20,001–50,000
21
50,001–100,000
25
>100,001
+1 per each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction +1 if total is an even number
Additionally, municipalities below 25 inhabitants, as well as those having traditionally adopted it, were to be organized through the open council system (Spanish : régimen de concejo abierto ), in which electors would directly vote for the local major.[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 municipality 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.[7] 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.[6]
Deputations and island councils
Provincial deputations were the governing bodies of provinces in Spain , having an administration role of municipal activities and composed of a provincial president, an administrative body, and a plenary. Basque provinces and Navarre had foral deputations instead—called Juntas Generales in the Basque Country—. For insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands , deputations were replaced by island councils in each of the islands or group of islands. For Majorca , Menorca and Ibiza –Formentera this figure was referred to in Spanish as consejo insular (Catalan : consell insular ), whereas for Gran Canaria , Tenerife , Fuerteventura , La Gomera , El Hierro , Lanzarote and La Palma its name was cabildo insular .
Most deputations were indirectly elected by local councillors from municipalities in each judicial district . Seats were allocated to provincial deputations based on the following scale:
Population
Seats
<500,000
24
500,001–1,000,000
27
>1,000,001
30
Madrid and Barcelona
51
Island councils and the foral deputations of Biscay , Gipuzkoa and Navarre were elected directly by electors under their own, specific electoral regulations.[6]
Municipal elections
Overall
Councillor share for different parties in the elections.
Other (23.21%)
Summary of the 3 April 1979 municipal election results in Spain →
Parties and coalitions
Popular vote
Councillors
Votes
%
±pp
Total
+/−
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
5,067,634
30.87
n/a
29,288
n/a
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
4,621,672
28.15
n/a
12,069
n/a
Communist Party of Spain (PCE)
2,142,049
13.05
n/a
3,725
n/a
Convergence and Union (CiU)
509,128
3.10
n/a
1,782
n/a
Democratic Coalition (CD)
504,780
3.07
n/a
2,383
n/a
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)
361,160
2.20
n/a
1,093
n/a
Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA)
245,507
1.50
n/a
259
n/a
Popular Unity (HB)
164,516
1.00
n/a
267
n/a
Party of Labour of Spain (PTE)
148,083
0.90
n/a
229
n/a
Workers' Revolutionary Organization (ORT)
114,539
0.70
n/a
107
n/a
Republican Left of Catalonia –National Front of Catalonia (ERC–FNC)
103,547
0.63
n/a
210
n/a
Communist Movement –Organization of Communist Left (MC–OIC)
86,792
0.53
n/a
59
n/a
Galician National-Popular Bloc (BNPG)
78,216
0.48
n/a
258
n/a
Galician Unity (PG –POG –PSG )
69,060
0.42
n/a
141
n/a
National Union (UN)
61,889
0.38
n/a
122
n/a
Basque Country Left (EE)
59,332
0.36
n/a
84
n/a
Regionalist Aragonese Party (PAR)
58,661
0.36
n/a
276
n/a
Canarian People's Union (UPC)
55,779
0.34
n/a
30
n/a
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (historical) (PSOEh)
26,585
0.16
n/a
45
n/a
Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC)
23,870
0.15
n/a
81
n/a
Revolutionary Communist League (LCR)
18,390
0.11
n/a
7
n/a
Valencian Regional Union (URV)
18,015
0.11
n/a
2
n/a
Cantonal Party (PCAN)
14,753
0.09
n/a
7
n/a
Communists of Catalonia (ComC)
14,529
0.09
n/a
0
n/a
Independent Councillors for La Rioja (CIR)
13,580
0.08
n/a
147
n/a
Navarrese People's Union (UPN)
12,305
0.07
n/a
10
n/a
Socialist Party of National Liberation (PSAN)
10,907
0.07
n/a
5
n/a
Nationalist Party of the Valencian Country (PNPV)
10,773
0.07
n/a
12
n/a
Communist Unification of Spain (UCE)
9,908
0.06
n/a
4
n/a
Candidates for Democracy (CPLD)
9,778
0.06
n/a
77
n/a
Carlist Party (PC)
9,548
0.06
n/a
9
n/a
Electoral Group of Ceuta–Democratic Local Council (AECAD)
8,855
0.05
n/a
12
n/a
Free Electoral Group of Tenerife (ALET)
8,815
0.05
n/a
4
n/a
Socialist Party of Majorca (PSM)
8,123
0.05
n/a
11
n/a
Republican Left (IR)
7,661
0.05
n/a
5
n/a
Leonese Peasants Electoral Group (AECL)
7,496
0.05
n/a
112
n/a
Spanish Communist Workers' Party (PCOE)
7,400
0.05
n/a
1
n/a
Others
1,702,022
10.37
n/a
14,572
n/a
Blank ballots
20,038
0.12
n/a
Total
16,415,695
100.00
67,505
n/a
Valid votes
16,415,695
98.76
n/a
Invalid votes
206,173
1.24
n/a
Votes cast / turnout
16,621,868
62.51
n/a
Abstentions
9,969,145
37.49
n/a
Registered voters
26,591,013
Sources[8] [9]
City control
The following table lists party control in provincial capitals, as well as in municipalities above or around 75,000.[10]
Municipality
Population
New control
A Coruña
224,289
Galician Unity (PG–POG–PSG) (UCD in 1979)
Albacete
105,408
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Alcalá de Henares
110,102
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Alcorcón
119,300
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Algeciras
92,273
Communist Party of Spain (PCE)
Alicante
232,019
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Almería
133,844
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Ávila
37,302
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Avilés
89,285
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Badajoz
110,290
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Badalona
229,780
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC)
Barakaldo
122,540
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)
Barcelona
1,754,579
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Bilbao
450,661
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)
Burgos
145,473
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Cáceres
63,181
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Cádiz
153,327
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Cartagena
162,630
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Castellón de la Plana
115,522
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Ciudad Real
48,075
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Córdoba
269,998
Communist Party of Spain (PCE)
Cornellà de Llobregat
91,563
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC)
Cuenca
38,601
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Elche
160,071
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Ferrol
88,161
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Getafe
124,601
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Gijón
253,294
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Girona
83,929
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Granada
225,034
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Guadalajara
47,758
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Huelva
122,494
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Huesca
38,095
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Jaén
88,968
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Jerez de la Frontera
180,098
Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA)
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat
289,747
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Las Palmas
345,925
Canarian People's Union (UPC) (PSOE in 1980; UCD in 1982)
Leganés
151,235
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
León
120,761
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) (UCD in 1979)
Lleida
106,190
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Logroño
103,097
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Lugo
71,574
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Madrid
3,355,720
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Málaga
454,882
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Mataró
96,942
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Móstoles
101,266
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Murcia
283,552
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Ourense
88,029
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Oviedo
179,866
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Palencia
65,896
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Palma
283,113
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Pamplona
173,255
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Pontevedra
63,863
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Reus
82,407
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Sabadell
187,247
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC)
Salamanca
141,474
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
San Cristóbal de La Laguna
112,472
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
San Sebastián
174,818
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)
Santa Coloma de Gramenet
140,613
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife
183,583
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Santander
174,809
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Santiago de Compostela
81,536
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD) (PDL in 1982)
Segovia
48,623
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Seville
622,532
Socialist Party of Andalusia–Andalusian Party (PSA–PA)
Soria
28,845
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Tarragona
108,131
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Terrassa
157,442
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE)
Teruel
24,590
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Toledo
54,999
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Valencia
737,129
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Valladolid
308,523
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Vigo
254,051
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Vitoria-Gasteiz
181,216
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)
Zamora
54,819
Union of the Democratic Centre (UCD)
Zaragoza
555,424
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Provincial deputations
Summary
Provincial deputy share for different parties in the elections.
PRE (0.09%)
Other (0.51%)
Deputation control
The following table lists party control in provincial deputations.[3]
References