1994 Basque regional election
23 October 1994
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All 75 seats in the Basque Parliament 38 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Registered | 1,749,250 3.6% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 1,044,085 (59.7%) 1.3 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A regional election was held in the Basque Country on 23 October 1994 to elect the 5th Parliament of the autonomous community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) won 22 seats, the Socialist Party of the Basque Country (PSE–PSOE) came second with 12 seats, People's Unity (HB) and the People's Party (PP) both won 11 seats each. Basque Solidarity (EA) won 8 seats.
This was also the first election to the Basque parliament that the Socialist Party and the Basque Country Left (EE) party contested together as a unified party.
Overview
Under the 1979 Statute of Autonomy, the Basque Parliament was the unicameral legislature of the Basque Autonomous Community, having legislative power in devolved matters, as well as the ability to grant or withdraw confidence from a lehendakari.[1] The electoral and procedural rules were supplemented by national law provisions.[2]
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 25 days before the scheduled expiration date of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV), with election day taking place between 54 and 60 days after the decree's publication.[3] The previous election was held on 28 October 1990, which meant that the chamber's term would have expired on 28 October 1994. The election decree was required to be published in the BOPV no later than 4 October 1994, setting the latest possible date for election day on 3 December 1994.
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.[4] In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a lehendakari within a 60-day period from the Parliament's reconvening, the chamber was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called.[5]
The Basque Parliament was officially dissolved on 30 August 1994 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOPV, setting election day for 23 October.[6]
Electoral system
Voting for the Parliament was based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Basque Country and with full political rights, provided that they had not been deprived of the right to vote by a final sentence, nor were legally incapacitated.[7]
The Basque Parliament had 75 seats. All were elected in three multi-member constituencies—corresponding to the provinces of Álava, Biscay and Guipúzcoa, each of which was assigned a fixed number of 25 seats to provide for an equal parliamentary representation of the three provinces—using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with a five percent-threshold of valid votes (including blank ballots) in each constituency.[8]
The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacant seats; instead, any vacancies arising after the proclamation of candidates and during the legislative term were filled by the next candidates on the party lists or, when required, by designated substitutes.[9]
Parties and candidates
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within 10 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.[10]
Below is a list of the main parties and alliances which contested the election:
| Candidacy | Parties and alliances |
Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | Gov. | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote % | Seats | ||||||||
| EAJ/PNV | List
|
José Antonio Ardanza | Basque nationalism Christian democracy Conservative liberalism |
28.3% | 22 | ||||
| PSE–EE (PSOE) |
List
|
Ramón Jáuregui | Social democracy | 27.5% [a] |
22 | ||||
| HB | List
|
Karmelo Landa | Basque independence Abertzale left Revolutionary socialism |
18.2% | 13 | ||||
| EA | List
|
Carlos Garaikoetxea | Basque nationalism Social democracy |
11.3% | 9 | ||||
| PP | List
|
Jaime Mayor Oreja | Conservatism Christian democracy |
8.2% | 6 | ||||
| UA | List
|
Enriqueta Benito | Alavese regionalism Christian democracy |
1.4% | 3 | ||||
| IU/EB | List
|
Javier Madrazo | Socialism Communism |
1.4% | 0 | ||||
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; 38 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Basque Parliament.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | EE | Lead | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 regional election | 23 Oct 1994 | N/a | 59.7 | 29.3 22 |
16.8 12 |
16.0 11 |
10.1 8 |
14.2 11 |
[b] | 9.0 6 |
2.7 5 |
12.5 |
| Demoscopia/El País[p 1][p 2] | 16 Oct 1994 | ? | 60 | 33.3 24/25 |
16.9 12/14 |
15.7 12 |
9.9 6 |
13.3 10/11 |
[b] | 7.6 5 |
2.1 4 |
16.4 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 3][p 2] | 16 Oct 1994 | ? | ? | 30.0 22/23 |
17.7 13/15 |
14.8 11 |
9.5 7 |
14.7 12 |
[b] | 8.2 6/7 |
1.3 2/3 |
12.3 |
| Bergareche/El Correo[p 2] | 16 Oct 1994 | ? | ? | ? 22 |
? 13 |
? 11 |
? 6 |
? 11 |
[b] | ? 8 |
? 4 |
? |
| ICP Research/Diario 16[p 2] | 16 Oct 1994 | ? | ? | 33.0 23/24 |
18.0 14/16 |
16.0 10/11 |
9.0 7/8 |
14.0 10/12 |
[b] | 8.0 5 |
2.0 3 |
15.0 |
| Ikerfel/PSE–EE[p 4] | 10–13 Oct 1994 | 1,700 | ? | ? 22 |
? 16/17 |
? 10/11 |
? 7 |
? 9 |
[b] | ? 6 |
? 4 |
? |
| CIS[p 5][p 6] | 7–13 Oct 1994 | 1,495 | 60.5 | 36.1 | 16.1 | 15.4 | 10.3 | 12.1 | [b] | 6.9 | 1.3 | 20.0 |
| Deia[p 7] | 12 Oct 1994 | ? | ? | ? 23 |
? 15 |
– | – | ? 11 |
[b] | – | – | ? |
| Basque Government | 1–10 Oct 1994 | ? | ? | ? 23/24 |
? 12/14 |
? 11/13 |
? 6/8 |
? 9/10 |
[b] | ? 5/7 |
? 4 |
? |
| Opina/La Vanguardia[p 8] | 29 Sep–1 Oct 1994 | 2,000 | ? | 32.5 24/25 |
16.5 14/15 |
12.5 11/12 |
8.0 5/6 |
12.0 11 |
[b] | 7.0 5/6 |
2.5 2/3 |
16.0 |
| Basque Government[p 9] | 27 Sep 1994 | ? | ? | ? 24 |
? 15 |
? 11 |
? 7 |
? 10 |
[b] | ? 5 |
? 3 |
? |
| CIS[p 10][p 11] | 13–20 Sep 1994 | 1,490 | 64.7 | 37.4 | 17.4 | 16.3 | 9.9 | 9.7 | [b] | 7.0 | 1.4 | 20.0 |
| Demoscopia/PP[p 12][p 13] | 6–12 Jul 1994 | 2,400 | 63 | 32.8 24/25 |
16.3 13 |
15.0 11/12 |
8.4 5/6 |
12.4 9/11 |
[b] | 9.4 6 |
1.6 3 |
16.5 |
| 1994 EP election | 12 Jun 1994 | N/a | 52.3 | 25.9 (19) |
18.3 (16) |
15.6 (11) |
8.7 (6) |
17.5 (16) |
[b] | 9.6 (7) |
– | 7.6 |
| Bergareche/El Correo[p 14] | 16 Apr 1994 | ? | ? | 26.9 | 20.1 | 15.9 | – | 15.8 | [b] | – | – | 6.5 |
| CIS[p 15] | 28 Mar 1994 | ? | ? | ? 17/18 |
? 20/22 |
? 10 |
? 8 |
? 12/14 |
[b] | ? 1/2 |
? 4/5 |
? |
| Basque Government[p 16] | 10–15 Jan 1994 | ? | ? | 28.7 22 |
19.2 16 |
17.0 12 |
11.5 9 |
9.5 9 |
[b] | 1.6 2 |
1.5 4 |
9.5 |
| PNV[p 17] | 9 Jan 1994 | ? | ? | ? 17 |
? 21 |
? 13 |
? 7 |
? 12 |
[b] | ? 2 |
? 3 |
? |
| 1993 general election | 6 Jun 1993 | N/a | 69.7 | 24.1 (18) |
24.5 (20) |
14.6 (11) |
9.8 (7) |
14.7 (12) |
[b] | 6.3 (4) |
1.4 (3) |
0.4 |
| 1991 foral elections | 26 May 1991 | N/a | 59.0 | 29.6 (23) |
19.7 (16) |
17.4 (13) |
12.4 (10) |
8.0 (5) |
6.9 (3) |
1.8 (0) |
2.2 (5) |
9.9 |
| 1990 regional election | 28 Oct 1990 | N/a | 61.0 | 28.3 22 |
19.8 16 |
18.2 13 |
11.3 9 |
8.2 6 |
7.7 6 |
1.4 0 |
1.4 3 |
8.5 |
Voting preferences
The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | EE | Lead | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 regional election[c] | 23 Oct 1994 | N/a | 17.3 | 9.9 | 9.5 | 6.0 | 8.3 | [b] | 5.3 | 1.6 | N/a | 40.1 | 7.4 |
| CIS[p 5] | 7–13 Oct 1994 | 1,495 | 19.3 | 5.4 | 8.4 | 4.7 | 3.2 | [b] | 3.7 | 0.3 | 37.2 | 15.1 | 10.9 |
| CIS[p 10] | 13–20 Sep 1994 | 1,490 | 23.2 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 4.0 | 2.3 | [b] | 4.2 | 0.5 | 35.0 | 12.3 | 14.9 |
| 1994 EP election[c] | 12 Jun 1994 | N/a | 13.5 | 9.5 | 8.1 | 4.5 | 9.1 | [b] | 5.0 | – | N/a | 47.5 | 4.0 |
| CIS[p 18][p 19] | 24 Apr–13 May 1994 | 1,579 | 22.1 | 6.0 | 7.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | [b] | 2.8 | 0.2 | 33.3 | 18.4 | 14.9 |
| 1993 general election[c] | 6 Jun 1993 | N/a | 16.7 | 17.0 | 10.2 | 6.9 | 10.2 | [b] | 4.4 | 1.0 | N/a | 30.0 | 0.3 |
| CIS[p 20][p 21] | 7–17 Nov 1992 | 1,615 | 18.3 | 7.6 | 9.5 | 3.9 | 1.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 33.6 | 19.0 | 8.8 |
| 1991 foral elections | 26 May 1991 | N/a | 17.3 | 11.5 | 10.2 | 7.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 1.3 | N/a | 41.0 | 5.8 |
| 1990 regional election[c] | 28 Oct 1990 | N/a | 17.2 | 12.0 | 11.0 | 6.9 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 | N/a | 38.9 | 5.2 |
Victory preferences
The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Other/ None |
Lead | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS[p 10] | 13–20 Sep 1994 | 1,490 | 26.4 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 4.3 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 0.4 | 3.0 | 43.0 | 18.0 |
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.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Other/ None |
Lead | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIS[p 5] | 7–13 Oct 1994 | 1,495 | 67.7 | 4.0 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 25.4 | 63.7 |
| CIS[p 10] | 13–20 Sep 1994 | 1,490 | 61.8 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 30.3 | 57.3 |
Results
Overall
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | ||
| Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) | 304,346 | 29.32 | +1.04 | 22 | ±0 | |
| Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE (PSOE))1 | 174,682 | 16.83 | −10.68 | 12 | −10 | |
| Popular Unity (HB) | 166,147 | 16.01 | −2.19 | 11 | −2 | |
| People's Party (PP) | 146,960 | 14.16 | +5.99 | 11 | +5 | |
| Basque Solidarity (EA) | 105,136 | 10.13 | −1.17 | 8 | −1 | |
| United Left (IU/EB) | 93,291 | 8.99 | +7.58 | 6 | +6 | |
| Alavese Unity (UA) | 27,797 | 2.68 | +1.28 | 5 | +2 | |
| Coalition for a New Socialist Party (NPS)2 | 1,462 | 0.14 | +0.07 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Blank ballots | 18,080 | 1.74 | +1.00 | |||
| Total | 1,037,901 | 75 | ±0 | |||
| Valid votes | 1,037,901 | 99.41 | −0.09 | |||
| Invalid votes | 6,184 | 0.59 | +0.09 | |||
| Votes cast / turnout | 1,044,085 | 59.69 | −1.30 | |||
| Abstentions | 705,165 | 40.31 | +1.30 | |||
| Registered voters | 1,749,250 | |||||
| Sources[11][12][13] | ||||||
Footnotes:
| ||||||
Distribution by constituency
| Constituency | PNV | PSE–EE | HB | PP | EA | IU/EB | UA | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | |
| Álava | 21.8 | 6 | 15.6 | 4 | 10.1 | 2 | 15.9 | 4 | 7.2 | 2 | 9.1 | 2 | 18.5 | 5 |
| Biscay | 35.1 | 10 | 17.4 | 4 | 13.4 | 3 | 15.0 | 4 | 7.1 | 2 | 10.0 | 2 | 0.3 | – |
| Guipúzcoa | 22.3 | 6 | 16.4 | 4 | 23.1 | 6 | 11.9 | 3 | 16.7 | 4 | 7.1 | 2 | 0.3 | – |
| Total | 29.3 | 22 | 16.8 | 12 | 16.0 | 11 | 14.2 | 11 | 10.1 | 8 | 9.0 | 6 | 2.7 | 5 |
| Sources[11][12][13] | ||||||||||||||
Aftermath
Government formation
| Investiture | |||
| Ballot → | 29 December 1994 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 38 out of 75 | ||
42 / 75
|
|||
22 / 75
| |||
Absentees
|
11 / 75
| ||
| Sources[11] | |||
Notes
References
Opinion poll sources
- ^ "Suben PNV e IU, y el PP duplica su representación". El País (in Spanish). 16 October 1994.
- ^ a b c d "Los sondeos electorales coinciden en el aumento del PP y una gran caída del PSOE". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 16 October 1994.
- ^ "El PP se convierte en la tercera fuerza política de Euskadi, superando a HB". El Mundo (in Spanish). 16 October 1994.
- ^ "Jáuregui apela a los votantes de Euskadiko Ezkerra para compensar la caída del PSOE". ABC (in Spanish). 17 October 1994.
- ^ a b c "Preelectoral País Vasco 1994 (Estudio nº 2116. Octubre 1994)". CIS (in Spanish). 13 October 1994.
- ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2116. Ficha técnica". CIS (in Spanish). 13 October 1994.
- ^ "El PP será la tercera fuerza política, según Deia". ABC (in Spanish). 13 October 1994.
- ^ "El PNV se consolida como el primer partido del País Vasco y se distancia de sus rivales". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 9 October 1994.
- ^ "Encuesta electoral: PNV gana, suben PP e IU y bajan PSE y HB". ABC (in Spanish). 27 September 1994.
- ^ a b c d "Situación y perspectivas electorales País Vasco (Estudio nº 2114. Septiembre 1994)". CIS (in Spanish). 20 September 1994.
- ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2114. Ficha técnica". CIS (in Spanish). 20 September 1994.
- ^ "Una encuesta da al PNV mayoría clara, descenso del PSE y HB y alzas de PP e IU". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 31 August 1994.
- ^ "Una encuesta refleja la subida del PP y PNV en las elecciones". ABC (in Spanish). 31 August 1994.
- ^ "El PP duplicará sus votos en el País Vasco". ABC (in Spanish). 17 April 1994.
- ^ "Guerra preelectoral de encuestas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 28 March 1994.
- ^ "El PP aumenta su peso electoral en el País Vasco y podría obtener nueve escaños". ABC (in Spanish). 5 February 1994.
- ^ "Un sondeo que pronostica al PNV el hundimiento electoral propició su radicalización nacionalista". ABC (in Spanish). 9 January 1994.
- ^ "Situación social y política del País Vasco (XI) (Estudio nº 2096. Abril-mayo 1994)". CIS (in Spanish). 13 May 1994.
- ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2096. Ficha técnica". CIS (in Spanish). 13 May 1994.
- ^ "Opinión pública y cultura política en las comunidades autónomas. País Vasco (Estudio nº 2040. Noviembre 1992)". CIS (in Spanish). 17 November 1992.
- ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2040. Ficha técnica". CIS (in Spanish). 17 November 1992.
Other
- ^ Statute (1979), arts. 25 & 27–28.
- ^ LEPV (1990), final prov. 1.
- ^ Statute (1979), art. 26; LEPV (1990), art. 46.
- ^ LGV (1981), arts. 7 & 50–51.
- ^ LGV (1981), art. 6.
- ^ Decree 346/1994 (1994), art. 1.
- ^ Statute (1979), art. 26; LEPV (1990), arts. 2–3 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), art. 42).
- ^ Statute (1979), art. 26; LEPV (1990), arts. 9–12; Decree 346/1994 (1994), art. 2.
- ^ LEPV (1990), arts. 12 & 65 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), arts. 46 & 48).
- ^ LEPV (1990), art. 53 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), art. 44).
- ^ a b c Lozano, Carles. "Elecciones al Parlamento Vasco / Eusko Legebilitzarra (desde 1980)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Resultados Electorales" (in Spanish). Basque Government. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Acuerdo de 10 de noviembre de 1994, de la Junta Electoral de la Comunidad Autónoma, por la que se dispone la publicación de los resultados correspondientes al escrutinio general de las elecciones al Parlamento Vasco celebradas el día 23 de octubre" (PDF). Official Gazette of the Basque Country (in Spanish) (217): 13523–13526. 15 November 1994. ISSN 2483-5366. Retrieved 13 May 2026.
Bibliography
- Ley Orgánica 3/1979, de 18 de diciembre, de Estatuto de Autonomía para el País Vasco (Organic Law 3/1979). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 18 December 1979 [version as of 22 December 1979]. BOE-A-1979-30177. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- Ley 7/1981, de 30 de junio, sobre Ley de Gobierno (Law 7/1981). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 30 June 1981 [version as of 23 November 1988]. BOE-A-2012-5927. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5/1985). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 19 June 1985 [version as of 31 March 1994]. BOE-A-1985-11672. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- Ley 5/1990, de 15 de junio, de Elecciones al Parlamento Vasco (Law 5/1990). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 15 June 1990 [version as of 6 July 1990]. BOE-A-2012-2859. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- Decreto 346/1994, de 29 de agosto, por el que se disuelve el Parlamento Vasco y se convocan elecciones (PDF) (Decree 346/1994). Official Gazette of the Basque Country (in Spanish). 29 August 1994. Retrieved 13 May 2026.