1995 Catalan regional election

1995 Catalan regional election
19 November 1995
All 135 seats in the Parliament of Catalonia
68 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered5,079,981 5.0%
Turnout3,232,959 (63.6%)
8.7 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Jordi Pujol Joaquim Nadal Alejo Vidal-Quadras
Party CiU PSC–PSOE PP
Leader since 17 November 1974 22 July 1995 9 January 1991
Leader's seat Barcelona Barcelona Barcelona
Last election 70 seats, 46.2% 40 seats, 27.5% 7 seats, 6.0%
Seats won 60 34 17
Seat change 10 6 10
Popular vote 1,320,071 802,252 421,752
Percentage 40.9% 24.9% 13.1%
Swing 5.3 pp 2.6 pp 7.1 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Àngel Colom Rafael Ribó
Party ERC IC–EV
Leader since 19 November 1989 23 February 1987
Leader's seat Barcelona Barcelona
Last election 11 seats, 8.0% 7 seats, 7.7%[a]
Seats won 13 11
Seat change 2 4
Popular vote 305,867 313,092
Percentage 9.5% 9.7%
Swing 1.5 pp 2.0 pp
President before election

Jordi Pujol
CDC (CiU)

Elected President

Jordi Pujol
CDC (CiU)

A regional election was held in Catalonia on Sunday, 19 November 1995, to elect the 5th Parliament of the autonomous community. All 135 seats in the Parliament were up for election.

Overview

Under the 1979 Statute of Autonomy, the Parliament of Catalonia was the unicameral legislature of the homonymous autonomous community, having legislative power in devolved matters, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.[1] As a result of no regional electoral law having been approved since the re-establishment of Catalan autonomy, the electoral procedure came regulated under transitory provisions, supplemented by the provisions within the national electoral law.[2]

Electoral system

Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Catalonia and in full enjoyment of their political rights, provided that they were not sentenced—by a final court ruling—to deprivation of the right to vote, nor being legally incapacitated.[2][3]

The Parliament of Catalonia was entitled to 135 seats. All members were elected in four multi-member constituencies—corresponding to the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, with each being allocated a fixed number of seats—using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional voting system, with a threshold of three percent of valid votes (which included blank ballots) being applied in each constituency.[2][4] The use of the electoral method resulted in a higher effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.[5]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Parliament constituency was entitled the following seats:[2][6]

Seats Constituencies
85 Barcelona
18 Tarragona
17 Girona
15 Lleida

The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacated seats; instead, any vacancies that occurred after the proclamation of candidates and into the legislative term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when required, by the designated substitutes.[7]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of Catalonia 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 the twenty-fifth day prior to the scheduled date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (DOGC), with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication.[2][8] The previous election was held on 15 March 1992, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 15 March 1996. The election decree was required to be published in the DOGC no later than 20 February 1996, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible date for election day on Sunday, 14 April 1996.

The regional president had the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament of Catalonia at any given time 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 a previous one under this procedure.[9] In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called.[10][11]

The Parliament of Catalonia was officially dissolved on 26 September 1995 with the publication of the dissolution decree in the DOGC, setting election day for 19 November.[6][12]

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 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.[13]

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

Candidacy Parties and
alliances 		Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Ref.
Vote % Seats
CiU
List
 Jordi Pujol Catalan nationalism
Centrism 		46.2% 70
PSC–PSOE
List
 Joaquim Nadal Social democracy 27.5% 40 [14]
ERC
List
 Àngel Colom Catalan independence
Left-wing nationalism
Social democracy 		8.0% 11
IC–EV
List
 Rafael Ribó Eco-socialism
Green politics
7.7%
[a] 		7
PP
List
 Alejo Vidal-Quadras Conservatism
Christian democracy 		6.0% 7

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates 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. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 68 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Catalonia.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 19 November 1995 Parliament of Catalonia election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
Convergence and Union (CiU) 1,320,071 40.95 −5.24 60 −10
Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE) 802,252 24.89 −2.66 34 −6
People's Party (PP) 421,752 13.08 +7.11 17 +10
Initiative for Catalonia–The Greens (IC–EV)1 313,092 9.71 +1.98 11 +4
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) 305,867 9.49 +1.53 13 +2
Ecologist Alternative of Catalonia (AEC)2 14,651 0.45 −0.08 0 ±0
Ecologist Party of Catalonia–VERDE (PEC–VERDE) 5,639 0.17 −0.12 0 ±0
Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR) 3,886 0.12 +0.03 0 ±0
Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRT)3 2,221 0.07 −0.32 0 ±0
Citizens of Catalonia–Platform of Independents of Spain (PICC–PIE) 1,580 0.05 New 0 ±0
Civic Platform–New Socialist Party (PC–NPS)4 869 0.03 −0.05 0 ±0
Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) 327 0.01 New 0 ±0
Party of Self-employed of Spain (PAE) 194 0.01 New 0 ±0
Democratic Party of the People (PDEP) 134 0.00 New 0 ±0
Blank ballots 31,417 0.97 −0.21
Total 3,223,952 135 ±0
Valid votes 3,223,952 99.72 +0.14
Invalid votes 9,007 0.28 −0.14
Votes cast / turnout 3,232,959 63.64 +8.77
Abstentions 1,847,022 36.36 −8.77
Registered voters 5,079,981
Sources[15][16][17][18]
Footnotes:
Popular vote
CiU
 
 40.95%
PSC–PSOE
 
 24.89%
PP
 
 13.08%
IC–EV
 
 9.71%
ERC
 
 9.49%
Others
 
 0.92%
Blank ballots
 
 0.97%
Seats
CiU
 
 44.44%
PSC–PSOE
 
 25.19%
PP
 
 12.59%
ERC
 
 9.63%
IC–EV
 
 8.15%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency CiU PSC PP IC–EV ERC
% S % S % S % S % S
Barcelona 39.1 34 25.4 22 13.6 12 11.2 10 8.7 7
Girona 48.6 9 25.7 5 7.9 1 4.0 − 12.3 2
Lleida 49.7 8 19.5 3 12.2 2 4.2 − 12.8 2
Tarragona 43.2 9 23.2 4 14.3 2 6.4 1 11.1 2
Total 40.9 60 24.9 34 13.1 17 9.7 11 9.5 13
Sources[15][16][17][18]

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Nomination of Jordi Pujol (CDC)
Ballot → 14 December 1995 16 December 1995
Required majority → 68 out of 135 N Simple Y
Yes
60 / 135
60 / 135
No
  • • ERC (13) (on 14 Dec)
  • • IC (11)
24 / 135
11 / 135
Abstentions
  • • PSC (33) (31 on 14 Dec)
  • • PP (17)
  • • ERC (13) (on 16 Dec)
48 / 135
63 / 135
Absentees
  • • PSC (1) (3 on 14 Dec)
3 / 135
1 / 135
Sources[15][19][20]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Results for IC (6.5%, 7 seats), PCC (0.8%, 0 seats) and AV–MEC (0.4%, 0 seats) in the 1992 election.

References

Opinion poll sources

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Sondejos". Generalitat de Catalunya (in Catalan). Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Pujol, en el umbral de la mayoría absoluta". El País (in Spanish). 12 November 1995.
  3. ^ "Pujol renovará la mayoría absoluta". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 12 November 1995.
  4. ^ "Descenso de Pujol, que puede fracasar en su empeño de gobernar con mayoría absoluta". ABC (in Spanish). 12 November 1995.
  5. ^ "El PP no se despega de ERC e IC". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 12 November 1995.
  6. ^ "Los socialistas seguirán siendo con diferencia la segunda fuerza". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 29 October 1995.
  7. ^ "La férrea estructura de poder de CiU en Cataluña permite que Pujol vuelva a rozar la mayoría absoluta". ABC (in Spanish). 29 October 1995.
  8. ^ "Jordi Pujol roza la mayoría absoluta". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 22 October 1995.
  9. ^ "Pujol cede la mayoría absoluta y el PP dobla escaños". El País (in Spanish). 9 October 1995.
  10. ^ "Percepción de la realidad sociopolítica en Cataluña, Septiembre 1995 (Estudio nº 2192)". CIS (in Spanish). 18 October 1995.
  11. ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2192. Ficha técnica" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 18 October 1995.
  12. ^ "CiU roza la mayoría absoluta y el PSC pierde seis escaños, según un sondeo del CIS". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 19 October 1995.
  13. ^ "Pujol, inquieto ante el peligro de desmovilización de su electorado". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 30 October 1995.
  14. ^ "El apoyo de Pujol a González le hará perder la mayoría absoluta en el Parlamento catalán". ABC (in Spanish). 30 July 1995.

Other

  1. ^ Statute (1979), art. 30.
  2. ^ a b c d e Statute (1979), art. 31 & tran. prov. 4.
  3. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 2–3.
  4. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 162–164.
  5. ^ Gallagher, Michael (30 July 2012). "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Dublin: Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  6. ^ a b Decreto 253/1995, de 25 de septiembre, de disolución del Parlamento de Cataluña y convocatoria de elecciones (PDF) (Decree 253/1995). Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (in Spanish). 25 September 1995. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  7. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 46 & 48.
  8. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 42.
  9. ^ LPPCEG (1985), art. 46.
  10. ^ Statute (1979), tran. prov. 5.
  11. ^ LPPCEG (1982), art. 54.
  12. ^ Mauri, Luis; Pastor, Carles (24 September 1995). "Pujol se dispone a convocar elecciones en Cataluña para el 19 de noviembre". El País (in Spanish). Miami / Barcelona. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  13. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 44 & 169.
  14. ^ Mauri, Luis (18 July 1995). "Joaquim Nadal, alcalde de Girona, candidato socialista a la presidencia de la Generalitat". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  15. ^ a b c Lozano, Carles. "Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya (des de 1980)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Resultats electorals. Eleccions al Parlament de Catalunya 1995. Catalunya" (in Catalan). Government of Catalonia. Retrieved 15 November 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Edictos de 24 de noviembre de 1995, por los que se hacen públicos los resultados correspondientes a la proclamación de electos al Parlamento de Cataluña de las circunscripciones de Lleida y Girona" (PDF). Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (in Spanish) (2137): 9132–9133. 2 December 1995. ISSN 1988-298X. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  18. ^ a b "Edictos de 29 de noviembre y de 1 de diciembre de 1995, por los que se hacen públicos los resultados correspondientes a la proclamación de electos al Parlamento de Cataluña de las circunscripciones de Barcelona y Tarragona" (PDF). Official Journal of the Government of Catalonia (in Spanish) (2137): 9133–9134. 2 December 1995. ISSN 1988-298X. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  19. ^ Mauri, Luis (14 December 1995). "Pujol admite que necesita apoyos para gobernar se ofrece para pactar con la oposición". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  20. ^ Pastor, Carles (17 December 1995). "Jordi Pujol, reelegido presidente de la Generalitat por mayoría simple". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 17 February 2026.

Bibliography

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