2003 Valencian regional election
The 2003 Valencian regional election was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Corts of the Valencian Community. All 89 seats in the Corts were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.
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All 89 seats in the Corts Valencianes 45 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Registered | 3,423,098  1.8% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 2,447,224 (71.5%)3.7 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Constituency results map for the Corts Valencianes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Despite growing discontent with the nationwide José María Aznar's government, the People's Party (PP) was able to comfortably retain its absolute majority in the Corts, losing only one seat compared to 1999, which was gained by the Agreement (Entesa) alliance led by United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV). The Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE), while increasing its vote share in two percentage points compared to its 1999 result, failed to translate it into any new seats. Valencian Union (UV), the former PP coalition partner during the first Zaplana government (1995–1999), continued its decline into irrelevance and fell below 3%, depriving it of any possibility of overcoming the five percent threshold to enter the Corts.
Francisco Camps became the new president of the Valencian Government succeeding José Luis Olivas, who had replaced Eduardo Zaplana in 2002 after the latter was named Labour and Social Affairs minister in Aznar's second cabinet.
Overview edit
Electoral system edit
The Corts Valencianes were the devolved, unicameral legislature of the Valencian autonomous community, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.[1]
Voting for the Corts was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Valencian Community and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 89 members of the Corts Valencianes were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, with each being allocated an initial minimum of 20 seats and the remaining 29 being distributed in proportion to their populations (provided that the seat-to-population ratio in any given province did not exceed three times that of any other).[1][2]
Election date edit
The term of the Corts Valencianes expired four years after the date of their previous election, with elections to the Corts being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 13 June 1999, setting the election date for the Corts on Sunday, 25 May 2003.[1][2][3]
The Corts Valencianes could not be dissolved before the date of expiry of parliament.[1]
Parties and candidates edit
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, 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.[2][3]
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. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes (%) | Seats | ||||||||
| PP | List
|
_(Recortada).jpg)
|
Francisco Camps | Conservatism Christian democracy |
47.88% | 49 | 
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| PSPV–PSOE | List
|
.jpg)
|
Joan Ignasi Pla | Social democracy | 33.91% | 35 | 
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| Entesa | List
|
.JPG)
|
Joan Ribó | Valencian nationalism Socialism Green politics |
6.05% | 5 |
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| BNV–EV | List
|
|
Pere Mayor | Valencian nationalism Eco-socialism Green politics |
4.53% | 0 |
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Opinion polls edit
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; 45 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Corts Valencianes.
- Color key:
Exit poll
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | 
|
|
|
|
|
Lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 regional election | 25 May 2003 | — | 71.5 | 47.2 48 |
36.0 35 |
6.4 6 |
3.0 0 |
4.7 0 |
11.2 |
| Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 1] | 25 May 2003 | ? | ? | ? 46/49 |
? 34/37 |
? 6 |
– | – | ? |
| Ipsos–Eco/RTVE[p 2] | 25 May 2003 | ? | ? | ? 46/48 |
? 35/37 |
? 4/6 |
– | – | ? |
| Insight/La Razón[p 3] | 19 May 2003 | ? | ? | 47.6 47/50 |
? 33/37 |
? 4/5 |
– | – | ? |
| Opina/El País[p 4] | 18 May 2003 | ? | ? | 46.0 46/47 |
38.0 38 |
6.0 4/5 |
3.0 0 |
3.0 0 |
8.0 |
| GES/PSPV[p 5] | 9–15 May 2003 | 2,000 | 72.6 | 44.0 43/44 |
39.9 40/41 |
6.7 5 |
3.9 0 |
4.6 0 |
4.1 |
| Investratègia/Bloc–EV[p 6] | 9–11 May 2003 | 1,500 | 68.8 | 45.5 44/47 |
37.5 33/36 |
6.5 4/5 |
3.2 0 |
5.6 4/5 |
8.0 |
| CIS[p 7][p 8] | 22 Mar–28 Apr 2003 | 2,096 | 80.0 | 41.9 44 |
37.9 39 |
7.4 6 |
3.9 0 |
4.1 0 |
4.0 |
| Vox Pública/El Periódico[p 9][p 10][p 11] | 25–27 Apr 2003 | 800 | ? | 45.0– 46.0 45/48 |
36.5– 37.5 35/39 |
5.0– 6.0 3/5 |
– | 4.5– 5.5 0/4 |
8.5 |
| Demoscopia/PP[p 12] | 9–18 Dec 2002 | 1,200 | ? | 51.1 49/52 |
34.3 34/36 |
6.1 3/4 |
3.9 0 |
3.9 0 |
16.8 |
| GES/PSPV[p 13] | 15–23 Oct 2002 | 3,000 | ? | 44.9 44 |
40.2 40 |
5.7 5 |
3.8 0 |
3.9 0 |
4.7 |
| CIS[p 14][p 15][p 16] | 9 Sep–9 Oct 2002 | 730 | 76.6 | 47.7 | 34.1 | 6.7 | – | – | 13.6 |
| GES/PSPV[p 17] | 10 Dec–25 Apr 2002 | 27,000 | ? | 46.1 46 |
37.8 38 |
5.9 5 |
– | 3.3 0 |
8.3 |
| GES/PSPV[p 18] | 10 Jan–10 Feb 2002 | 10,500 | ? | 47.5 47 |
38.4 38 |
5.2 4 |
3.4 0 |
3.5 0 |
9.1 |
| Demoscopia/PP[p 19] | 26 Dec–10 Jan 2002 | 900 | ? | 52.1 52/53 |
33.1 31/33 |
5.4 4/5 |
1.7 0 |
3.6 0 |
19.0 |
| Demoscopia/PP[p 20] | 1–8 Jul 2000 | 1,200 | ? | 51.8 49/55 |
31.0 29/32 |
5.8 4/5 |
3.9 0 |
5.0 0/4 |
20.8 |
| 2000 general election | 12 Mar 2000 | — | 72.7 | 52.1 (52) |
34.0 (34) |
5.8 (3) |
2.4 (0) |
2.4 (0) |
18.1 |
| PP[p 21] | 3 Jan 2000 | ? | ? | 52.8 | 30.3 | – | – | – | 22.5 |
| 1999 regional election | 13 Jun 1999 | — | 67.8 | 47.9 49 |
33.9 35 |
6.1 5 |
4.7 0 |
4.5 0 |
14.0 |
Results edit
Overall edit
 | ||||||
| Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | ||
| People's Party (PP) | 1,146,780 | 47.17 | –0.71 | 48 | –1 | |
| Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE) | 874,288 | 35.96 | +2.05 | 35 | ±0 | |
| United Left–The Greens–Valencian Left: The Agreement (L'Entesa) | 154,494 | 6.35 | +0.30 | 6 | +1 | |
| Valencian Nationalist Bloc–Green Left (Bloc–EV) | 114,011 | 4.69 | +0.16 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Union–Valencian Union (UV) | 72,557 | 2.98 | –1.70 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Republican Left of the Valencian Country (ERPV) | 7,609 | 0.31 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) | 3,884 | 0.16 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | 3,189 | 0.13 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Regional Party of the Valencian Community (PRCV) | 2,868 | 0.12 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Humanist Party (PH) | 2,747 | 0.11 | +0.01 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Spain 2000 (E–2000) | 2,650 | 0.11 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Federal Republican Party (PRF) | 2,545 | 0.10 | +0.03 | 0 | ±0 | |
| Authentic Phalanx (FA) | 2,332 | 0.10 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Family and Life Party (PFyV) | 1,690 | 0.07 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Another Democracy is Possible (ODeP) | 1,156 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| National Democracy (DN) | 798 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
| Blank ballots | 37,805 | 1.55 | ±0.00 | |||
| Total | 2,431,403 | 89 | ±0 | |||
| Valid votes | 2,431,403 | 99.35 | –0.06 | |||
| Invalid votes | 15,821 | 0.65 | +0.06 | |||
| Votes cast / turnout | 2,447,224 | 71.49 | +3.68 | |||
| Abstentions | 975,874 | 28.51 | –3.68 | |||
| Registered voters | 3,423,098 | |||||
| Sources[4][5][6] | ||||||
Distribution by constituency edit
| Constituency | PP | PSPV | L'Entesa | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | S | % | S | % | S | |
| Alicante | 48.3 | 16 | 37.2 | 12 | 5.9 | 2 |
| Castellón | 48.1 | 13 | 36.5 | 9 | 4.4 | 1 |
| Valencia | 46.3 | 19 | 35.1 | 14 | 7.0 | 3 |
| Total | 47.2 | 48 | 36.0 | 35 | 6.4 | 6 |
| Sources[5][6] | ||||||
Aftermath edit
Government formation edit
| Investiture | |||||
| Candidate | Ballot → | 18 June 2003 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 45 out of 89 | ||||
| Francisco Camps (PP) | Yes
|
48 / 89
|
| ||
40 / 89
| |||||
| Absentees | 0 / 89
| ||||
Abstentions
|
0 / 89
| ||||
| Joan Ignasi Pla (PSPV) |  Cancelled
| ||||
| Joan Ribó (L'Entesa) | Cancelled
| ||||
| Sources[6] | |||||
2006 motion of no confidence edit
| Motion of no confidence Joan Ignasi Pla (PSPV) | ||
| Ballot → | 4 October 2006 | |
|---|---|---|
| Required majority → | 45 out of 89
| |
Yes
|
35 / 89
| |
No
|
47 / 89
| |
7 / 89
| ||
| Absentees | 0 / 89
| |
| Sources[6] | ||
References edit
- Opinion poll sources
- ^ "El sondeo de Sigma Dos determina una lucha codo a codo entre populares y socialistas en Madrid". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
- ^ "Sondeo a pie de urna de Ipsos Eco Consulting para TVE". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ "La 'batalla' de Madrid, la más reñida en los comicios del 25-M". El Mundo (in Spanish). 20 May 2003.
- ^ "El PP mantiene su poder autonómico en Valencia". El País (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
- ^ "Unas elecciones abiertas, según el PSPV". El País (in Spanish). 17 May 2003.
- ^ "Una encuesta del Bloc otorga a los nacionalistas de 4 a 5 escaños en las Cortes". El País (in Spanish). 16 May 2003.
- ^ "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas, 2003. CA Valenciana (Estudio nº 2491. Marzo-Abril 2003)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 17 May 2003.
- ^ "La guerra pasa factura electoral al PP". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
- ^ "Comunidad Valenciana". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 5 May 2003. Archived from the original on 9 May 2003.
- ^ "Los valencianos mantienen su apoyo al PP tras irse Zaplana". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 5 May 2003.
- ^ "VOX PUBLICA". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 5 May 2003.
- ^ "Un sondeo del PP le otorga la mayoría absoluta con más diputados". El País (in Spanish). 12 January 2003.
- ^ "Una encuesta del PSPV da mayoría a la izquierda en las autonómicas". El País (in Spanish). 27 October 2002.
- ^ "Instituciones y autonomías, II. CA Valenciana (Estudio nº 2455. Septiembre-Octubre 2002)". CIS (in Spanish). 19 November 2002.
- ^ "El PP, partido más votado en diez Comunidades Autónomas" (PDF). El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 November 2002.
- ^ "El PP ganaría las autonómicas en diez Comunidades y el PSOE en cuatro, según el CIS". ABC (in Spanish). 20 November 2002.
- ^ "Una encuesta del PSPV dice que la diferencia respecto del PP se sitúa ahora en 8 puntos". El País (in Spanish). 12 May 2002.
- ^ "Una encuesta del PSPV reduce a 9 puntos su distancia con el PP". El País (in Spanish). 24 February 2002.
- ^ "Un sondeo del PP amplía su mayoría absoluta y revela que baja el PSPV". El País (in Spanish). 10 February 2002.
- ^ "El PP se atribuye un 51,8% de apoyo en la Comunidad". El País (in Spanish). 25 July 2000.
- ^ "Un PP hegemónico". El País (in Spanish). 3 January 2000.
- Other
- ^ a b c d Ley Orgánica 5/1982, de 1 de julio, de Estatuto de Autonomía de la Comunidad Valenciana (Organic Law 1) (in Spanish). 1 July 1982. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ a b c Ley 1/1987, de 31 de marzo, Electoral Valenciana (Law 2) (in Spanish). 31 March 1987. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ a b Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5) (in Spanish). 19 June 1985. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ^ "Electoral Results. Electoral Data - Regional Election: 2003". www.cortsvalencianes.es (in Spanish). Valencian Government. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Corts Valencianes election results, 25 May 2003" (PDF). www.juntaelectoralcentral.es (in Spanish). Electoral Commission of the Valencian Community. 12 August 2003. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Eleccions a les Corts Valencianes (1983 - 2019)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2017.