2019 European Parliament election in Spain

The 2019 European Parliament election in Spain was held on Sunday, 26 May 2019, as part of the EU-wide election to elect the 9th European Parliament. All 54 seats allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Lisbon—59 after Brexit was formalized on 31 January 2020—were up for election.[1] The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

2019 European Parliament election in Spain

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All 59[a] Spanish seats in the European Parliament
Opinion polls
Registered37,248,888 2.0%
Turnout22,619,984 (60.7%)
16.9 pp
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
LeaderJosep BorrellDolors MontserratLuis Garicano
PartyPSOEPPCs
AllianceS&DEPPALDE (RE)
Leader since26 February 20191 April 201929 December 2018
Last election14 seats, 23.0%16 seats, 26.1%6 seats, 9.7%[b]
Seats won21138
Seat change732
Popular vote7,369,7894,519,2052,731,825
Percentage32.9%20.2%12.2%
Swing9.9 pp5.9 pp2.5 pp

 Fourth partyFifth partySixth party
 
LeaderMaría Eugenia Rodríguez PalopJorge BuxadéOriol Junqueras[d]
PartyPodemos–IUVoxAhora Repúblicas
AllianceGUE/NGL
Greens/EFA
ECRGreens/EFA
GUE/NGL
Leader since21 March 201921 April 201929 September 2018
Last election11 seats, 18.0%[c]0 seats, 1.6%3 seats, 6.1%[e]
Seats won643
Seat change540
Popular vote2,258,8571,393,6841,252,139
Percentage10.1%6.2%5.6%
Swing7.9 pp4.6 pp0.5 pp

Held one month after the 28 April 2019 general election, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez scored a landslide victory—as well as the first win for the party in a European Parliament election in 15 years, also with Josep Borrell as its main candidate—by achieving 32.9% of the share and 20 seats, a result which allowed it to become the largest national delegation within the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. Concurrently, the opposition People's Party (PP) suffered a severe setback and scored its worst result ever in a European Parliament election, but slightly improved on its general election results by achieving 20.2% of the vote and 12 seats. Citizens (Cs), which had integrated Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) within its lists ahead of the election, became the third most-voted party of the country, but at 12.2% and 7 seats it only slightly improved on the combined Cs–UPyD results in 2014. Unidas Podemos Cambiar Europa (English: "United We Can Change Europe"), the alliance of Podemos and United Left (IU) suffered a considerable drop from both parties' past results, being reduced to 10.1% and 6 seats. Far-right Vox performed well below expectations after disappointing results for the party in the 2019 general election, scoring 6.2% of the share and 3 seats.[2]

Afterwards, and as a result of the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union coming into effect on 31 January 2020, five additional seats were allocated to Spain's MEP delegation, which were re-distributed by granting one each to PSOE, PP, Cs, Vox and Junts according to their May 2019 election results.

Electoral system

54 members of the European Parliament were allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Lisbon.[a] Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals and resident non-national European citizens over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.[3][4] Additionally, Spaniards abroad were required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado).[5]

All seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with no electoral threshold being applied in order to be entitled to enter seat distribution. Seats were allocated to a single multi-member constituency comprising the entire national territory.[3] The use of the D'Hondt method might result in an effective threshold depending on the district magnitude.[6]

Outgoing delegation

Outgoing delegation in April 2019[7]
GroupsPartiesMEPs
SeatsTotal
European People's PartyPP1617
INDEP1[f]
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and DemocratsPSOE1414
European United Left–Nordic Green LeftPodemos510
IU4
Anova1
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for EuropeCs48
UPyD1
PDeCAT1
EAJ/PNV1
INDEP1[g]
Greens–European Free AllianceERC25
ICV1
BNG1
Equo1

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. In order to be entitled to run, parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least 15,000 registered electors; this requirement could be lifted and replaced through the signature of at least 50 elected officials—deputies, senators, MEPs or members from the legislative assemblies of autonomous communities or from local city councils. Electors and elected officials were disallowed from signing for more than one list of candidates.[3]

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

CandidacyParties and
alliances
Leading candidateIdeologyPrevious resultRef.
Votes (%)Seats
PP
List
Dolors MontserratConservatism
Christian democracy
26.09%16[8]
PSOE Josep BorrellSocial democracy23.01%14[9]
Podemos–IU
List
María Eugenia Rodríguez PalopLeft-wing populism
Democratic socialism
18.01%[c]11[10]
[11]
[12]
Cs Luis GaricanoLiberalism9.67%[b]6[13]
[14]
[15]
Ahora
Repúblicas
Oriol Junqueras[d]Secessionism
Left-wing nationalism
6.09%[e]3[16]
Junts Carles PuigdemontCatalan independence
Liberalism
5.42%[i]3[17]
[18]
CEUS Izaskun BilbaoPeripheral nationalism[19]
CpE
List
Jordi SebastiàLeft-wing nationalism
Eco-socialism
1.92%[j]1[20]
[21]
Vox
List
Jorge BuxadéRight-wing populism
Ultranationalism
National conservatism
1.57%0[22]

Campaign

Party slogans

Party or allianceOriginal sloganEnglish translationRef.
PP« Centrados en tu futuro »"Centered on your future"[23][24]
PSOE« Siempre hacia delante »"Always forward"[23][25]
Podemos–IU« Verdades en Europa »"Truths in Europe"[23]
Cs« Vamos Europa »"Let's go Europe"[23]
Ahora Repúblicas« Impuls republicà »"Republican impulse"[23][26]
Vox« En Europa, por España »"In Europe, for Spain"[23][27]

Election debates

2019 European Parliament election debates in Spain
DateOrganisersModerator(s)    P  Present[k]    S  Surrogate[l]    NI  Not invited   A  Absent invitee 
PPPSOEUPCECsARJuntsCEUSCpEVoxAudienceRefs
12 MaylaSexta
(El Objetivo)
Ana PastorP
Montserrat
P
Borrell
P
Palop
P
Garicano
NINININIP
Buxadé
6.9%
(1,147,000)
[28]
[29]
22 MayRTVE
Xabier FortesP
Montserrat
P
Borrell
P
Palop
P
Garicano
S
Solé
S
Knörr
P
Bilbao
P
Sebastià
P
Buxadé
5.2%
(817,000)
[30]
[31]

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.

Color key:

  Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Results

Overall

Summary of the 26 May 2019 European Parliament election results in Spain
Parties and alliancesPopular voteSeats
Votes%±ppTotal+/−
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)17,369,78932.86+9.8521+7
People's Party (PP)14,519,20520.15–5.9413–3
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (Cs)1 22,731,82512.18+2.518+2
United We Can Change Europe (PodemosIU)32,258,85710.07–7.946–5
Vox (Vox)11,393,6846.21+4.644+4
Republics Now (Ahora Repúblicas)41,252,1395.58–0.513±0
Free for Europe (Junts)1 51,018,4354.54+1.043+1
Coalition for a Solidary Europe (CEUS)6633,0902.82+0.891±0
Commitment to Europe (CpE)7296,4911.32–0.600–1
Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA)295,5461.32+0.190±0
Green Coalition–Citizen Europe (CV–EC)65,5040.29New0±0
Zero CutsThe GreensEuropean Green Group (Recortes Cero–LV–GVE)50,0020.22+0.020±0
Volt Europa (Volt)32,4320.14New0±0
Feminist Initiative (IFem)29,2760.13–0.020±0
Communists (PCPE–PCPC–PCPA)28,5080.13–0.060±0
Act (PACT)25,5280.11New0±0
Andalusia by Herself (AxSí)823,9950.11–0.210±0
For a Fairer World (PUM+J)21,5840.10New0±0
Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE)19,0800.09New0±0
Pirates of Catalonia–European Pirates (pirates.cat/ep)16,7550.07–0.180±0
Centrists for Europe (CCDLliures–UIJ–centrados)15,6150.07New0±0
Forum of Citizens (FAC)14,1750.06–0.150±0
Positive Left (IZQP)12,9390.06New0±0
With You, We Are Democracy (Contigo)12,4300.06New0±0
Extremadurans (CEx–CREx–PREx)11,8940.05+0.010±0
FE de las JONS–Spanish Alternative–La Falange–National Democracy (ADÑ)911,6990.05–0.390±0
Republican Alternative (ALTER)11,0760.05±0.000±0
Actual Equality (IGRE)9,0760.04New0±0
Red Current Movement (MCR)8,4020.04+0.010±0
Humanist Party (PH)7,9470.04–0.050±0
Euro Latino Independent Movement (MIEL)6,8090.03New0±0
Internationalist Solidarity and Self-Management (SAIn)5,5430.02–0.020±0
Blank ballots216,7360.97–1.33
Total122,426,06659+5
Valid votes22,426,06699.14+0.94
Invalid votes193,9180.86–0.94
Votes cast / turnout22,619,98460.73+16.92
Abstentions14,628,90439.27–16.92
Registered voters37,248,888
Sources[32][33]
Footnotes:
Popular vote
PSOE
32.86%
PP
20.15%
Cs
12.18%
Podemos–IU
10.07%
Vox
6.21%
Ahora Repúblicas
5.58%
Junts
4.54%
CEUS
2.82%
CpE
1.32%
PACMA
1.32%
Others
1.96%
Blank ballots
0.97%
Seats
PSOE
35.59%
PP
22.03%
Cs
13.56%
Podemos–IU
10.17%
Vox
6.78%
Ahora Repúblicas
5.08%
Junts
5.08%
CEUS
1.69%

Distribution by European group

Summary of political group distribution in the 9th European Parliament (2019–2024)[7]
GroupsPartiesSeatsTotal%
Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D)212135.59
European People's Party (EPP)131322.03
Renew Europe (RE)8
1
915.25
European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)3
2
1
610.17
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)446.78
Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA)2
1
35.08
Non-Inscrits (NI)223.39
Total5959100.00

Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators:

Notes

References

Opinion poll sources
Other