Leonese People's Union

Leonese People's Union

Unión del Pueblo Leonés
Leonese People's Union Unión del Pueblo Leonés
President	Pedro Ángel Gallego
Secretary-General	Luis Mariano Santos
Founded	1986
Headquarters	Avda. República Argentina, 13 bis-1º, 24004 León
Youth wing	Leonist Youth
Membership (2014)	2,300
Ideology	Leonesism; Regionalism; Autonomism; Ruralism; Big Tent
Political position	Centre to centre-left
Colours	Dark magenta; Black
Corts of Castile and León	3 / 83
Provincial deputations	1 / 75
Mayors (Province of León)	15 / 211
Local Government (2019-2023)	152 / 5,194
Party flag
Website
	www.upl.es
	Politics of Spain; Political parties; Elections;

The Leonese People's Union (Spanish: Unión del Pueblo Leonés, Leonese: Unión del Pueblu Llionés, UPL) is a regional political party in Castilla y León, Spain. UPL strives to establish a separate autonomous community (Comunidad Autónoma de León or Autonomous Community of León) for the provinces of León, Zamora and Salamanca (center of the old Kingdom of León), now in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León. Such a movement is known as Leonesism.

History edit

UPL was founded in 1986 by a group of people coming from different León regionalist movements and various statewide parties (Popular Alliance, Union of the Democratic Centre, Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). Initially it was known as Leonesist Union (Unión Leonesista, UNLE). It adopted its current name in 1991, when José María Rodríguez de Francisco took over the leadership of the party. In the municipality of León the party obtained three seats in the municipal council. It also won one seat in the provincial council.

In the municipal elections in 2007, UPL obtained 10.88% and three seats in the municipal council of León. In the Castile and León autonomous elections the same year, it obtained 2.69% of the votes and two seats over 83.

Its youth branch was Conceyu Xoven, an organization that promotes official status for the Leonese language and the unity and self-determination for the Leonese Country. Conceyu Xoven was expelled from the party due to its radical positions, with the Leonist Youth being designated the new youth wing of UPL.

Electoral performance edit

Cortes of Castile and León edit

Date	Votes			Seats		Status	Size
Date	#	%	±pp	#	±	Status	Size
1987	8,960	0.6%	–	0 / 84	–	N/A	8th
1991	11,432	0.8%	+0.2	0 / 84	0	N/A	6th
1995	39,425	2.5%	+1.7	2 / 84	2	Opposition	4th
1999	54,158	3.7%	+1.2	3 / 84	1	Opposition	3rd
2003	60,331	3.9%	+0.2	2 / 82	1	Opposition	3rd
2007	41,519	2.7%	–1.2	2 / 83	0	Opposition	3rd
2011	26,660	1.9%	–0.8	1 / 84	1	Opposition	4th
2015	19,176	1.4%	–0.5	1 / 84	0	Opposition	6th
2019	27,888	2.0%	+0.6	1 / 84	0	Opposition	7th
2022	52,098	4.3%	+2.3	3 / 81	2	Opposition	6th