1998 Basque regional election
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All 75 seats in the Basque Parliament 38 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Registered | 1,821,608 4.1% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turnout | 1,275,008 (70.0%) 10.3 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1998 Basque regional election was held on Sunday, 25 October 1998, to elect the 6th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community. All 75 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) won 21 seats, the People's Party (PP) came second for the first time with 16 seats, the Basque Citizens (EH) coalition and the Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE) won 14 seats each.
Overview
Electoral system
The Basque Parliament was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of the Basque Country, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Basque Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a lehendakari.[1] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights.
The 75 members of the Basque Parliament were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Álava, Biscay and Guipúzcoa, with each being allocated a fixed number of 25 seats in order to provide for an equal parliamentary representation of the three provinces, as required under the regional statute of autonomy.[1][2]
Election 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 the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV), with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication. The previous election was held on 23 October 1994, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 23 October 1998. The election decree was required to be published in the BOPV no later than 29 September 1998, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Sunday, 22 November 1998.[1][2]
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. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a lehendakari within a sixty-day period from the Parliament re-assembly, the Parliament was to be dissolved and a fresh election called.[3]
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, 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][4]
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 | ||||||||
EAJ/PNV | List
|
Juan José Ibarretxe | Basque nationalism Christian democracy Conservative liberalism |
29.32% | 22 | ||||
PSE–EE (PSOE) |
List
|
Nicolás Redondo | Social democracy | 16.83% | 12 | ||||
EH | List
|
Arnaldo Otegi | Basque independence Abertzale left Revolutionary socialism |
16.01%[a] | 11 | ||||
PP | List
|
Carlos Iturgaiz | Conservatism Christian democracy |
14.16% | 11 | ||||
EA | List
|
Carlos Garaikoetxea | Basque nationalism Social democracy |
10.13% | 8 | ||||
IU/EB | List
|
Javier Madrazo | Socialism Communism |
8.99% | 6 | ||||
UA | List
|
Pablo Mosquera | Alavese regionalism Christian democracy |
2.68% | 5 |
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; 38 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Basque Parliament.
- Color key:
Exit poll
Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | PNV | Lead | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1998 regional election | 25 Oct 1998 | — | 70.0 | 27.6 21 |
17.4 14 |
17.7 14 |
19.9 16 |
8.6 6 |
5.6 2 |
1.2 2 |
7.7 |
Eco Consulting/EiTB[p 1][p 2] | 25 Oct 1998 | 21,000 | ? | 28.9 21/23 |
16.0 11/13 |
20.9 16/18 |
14.7 13/15 |
8.6 5/7 |
6.2 3/5 |
1.0 1/2 |
8.0 |
Sondaxe/Tele 5[p 1][p 2] | 25 Oct 1998 | 2,250 | ? | ? 21 |
? 16 |
? 11 |
? 15 |
? 6 |
? 5 |
? 1 |
? |
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 1][p 2] | 25 Oct 1998 | ? | ? | ? 21/22 |
? 12/14 |
? 12/13 |
? 15 |
? 5/7 |
? 4/5 |
? 2/3 |
? |
Demoscopia/El País[p 3][p 4] | 18 Oct 1998 | ? | 65–67 | 30.4 21/22 |
17.4 13/14 |
15.8 11/12 |
16.8 13/15 |
9.7 6/7 |
8.7 5/6 |
1.2 2 |
13.0 |
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 5][p 6] | 14–16 Oct 1998 | 1,000 | ? | 30.2 21/23 |
14.7 10/12 |
16.6 12/14 |
17.8 13/15 |
9.9 7 |
7.8 5 |
1.5 3 |
12.4 |
Gallup/ABC[p 7] | 9–14 Oct 1998 | 1,506 | 76.0 | 30.8 22/23 |
18.6 14/15 |
15.3 11 |
15.4 13/14 |
9.5 7 |
8.3 5 |
0.9 1/2 |
12.2 |
Ábaco/Tele 5 | 13 Oct 1998 | ? | ? | ? 21 |
? 15 |
? 12 |
? 16 |
? 5 |
? 5 |
? 1 |
? |
Opina/La Vanguardia[p 8][p 9] | 12–13 Oct 1998 | 1,500 | 70 | 29.0 20/21 |
19.0 13/15 |
15.0 11/12 |
18.0 14/15 |
9.0 8 |
7.0 6 |
1.0 2 |
10.0 |
Bergareche/El Correo[p 4][p 6][p 10] | 8–12 Oct 1998 | 4,650 | ? | 27.2 20/21 |
19.5 15/16 |
14.9 11/12 |
17.1 14/15 |
8.4 5/6 |
8.4 5/6 |
1.3 2 |
7.7 |
PP[p 11] | 9 Oct 1998 | ? | ? | ? 22/23 |
? 13/14 |
? 11/12 |
? 14/15 |
? 6 |
? 3/4 |
? 2 |
? |
Siadeco/GPS[p 12][p 13] | 2–9 Oct 1998 | 2,000 | 66.0 | 29.0 22 |
16.1 12 |
18.4 14 |
15.3 13 |
9.7 7 |
8.5 5 |
1.4 2 |
10.6 |
CIS[p 14][p 15] | 25 Sep–8 Oct 1998 | 2,097 | 64.7 | 29.3 21/22 |
18.4 14/15 |
16.1 12/13 |
16.7 13/14 |
8.7 6 |
7.7 5 |
1.4 2 |
10.9 |
PSOE[p 11][p 16][p 17] | 6–7 Oct 1998 | 1,354 | ? | ? 23 |
? 15 |
? 11 |
? 14 |
? 6 |
? 4 |
? 2 |
? |
Siadeco/GPS[p 18][p 19] | 21–26 Sep 1998 | 2,000 | 67.0 | 29.4 22 |
15.9 12 |
17.7 13 |
15.3 12 |
9.9 7 |
8.7 6 |
1.5 3 |
11.7 |
Siadeco/GPS[p 20][p 21] | 7–15 Sep 1998 | 2,000 | 65.0 | 29.6 22 |
16.5 12 |
15.8 11 |
15.5 13 |
10.0 8 |
9.3 6 |
1.5 3 |
13.1 |
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 22] | 28 Aug–3 Sep 1998 | 900 | ? | 30.0 21 |
16.2 13 |
15.2 11 |
16.5 14 |
9.2 6 |
9.1 6 |
2.0 4 |
13.5 |
CPS/EHU[p 23][p 24] | 1–15 Jun 1998 | 1,400 | 64 | 29.0 20/21 |
21.0 15/16 |
13.0 10 |
17.0 13/15 |
9.0 6/7 |
7.0 5 |
1.0 2/3 |
8.0 |
Bergareche/El Correo[p 25][p 26][p 27] | 4–9 Jun 1998 | 2,625 | ? | 28.3 21 |
20.1 15/16 |
12.6 9/10 |
17.4 14/15 |
7.7 6 |
8.8 6/7 |
1.1 2 |
8.2 |
Siadeco/GPS[p 28][p 29] | 11–20 May 1998 | 2,846 | 62.5 | 29.5 22 |
17.0 14 |
14.9 11 |
16.0 13 |
10.0 7 |
9.1 6 |
1.4 2 |
12.5 |
CIS[p 30][p 31] | 6–31 Mar 1998 | 2,099 | 61.4 | 29.2 21/22 |
18.4 14/15 |
15.3 11 |
16.5 13/14 |
9.7 7/8 |
7.6 5 |
1.5 2 |
10.8 |
Bergareche/El Correo[p 32][p 33][p 34][p 35] | 6–13 Mar 1998 | 2,636 | ? | 26.6 20/22 |
20.0 16 |
12.2 9 |
18.6 16 |
7.4 5 |
9.0 5/6 |
1.4 2/3 |
6.6 |
Siadeco/GPS[p 36][p 37] | 30 Jan–7 Feb 1998 | 1,500 | 65.0 | 29.6 22 |
16.6 12 |
14.4 11 |
16.4 13 |
10.2 8 |
9.1 6 |
1.3 3 |
13.0 |
Bergareche/El Correo[p 38][p 39][p 40] | 9 Nov 1997 | 2,682 | ? | 29.6 23 |
19.2 15 |
12.0 9 |
16.7 15 |
8.1 6 |
7.5 5 |
1.3 2 |
10.4 |
Siadeco/GPS[p 28][p 41][p 42][p 43] | 16–24 Sep 1997 | ? | 66.0 | 29.9 22 |
16.6 12 |
14.0 11 |
16.2 13 |
10.2 9 |
9.0 5 |
1.4 3 |
13.3 |
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 44] | 16–17 Jul 1997 | 800 | ? | 32.5 | 15.6 | 12.9 | 17.9 | 9.7 | 8.8 | 2.2 | 14.6 |
CPS/EHU | 8 Jun 1997 | 1,400 | ? | 29.1 20 |
18.5 15 |
12.5 10 |
14.0 12 |
9.2 7 |
9.4 7 |
2.0 4 |
10.6 |
Siadeco/GPS[p 45] | 25 Mar 1997 | ? | 64.0 | 29.6 22 |
16.8 12 |
13.7 11 |
15.6 12 |
10.1 8 |
9.8 7 |
1.5 3 |
12.8 |
1996 general election | 3 Mar 1996 | — | 71.5 | 25.0 (18) |
23.7 (20) |
12.3 (9) |
18.3 (15) |
8.2 (6) |
9.2 (7) |
– | 1.3 |
1995 foral elections | 28 May 1995 | — | 63.9 | 28.4 (22) |
16.7 (13) |
14.4 (11) |
15.5 (11) |
10.9 (9) |
8.1 (5) |
2.1 (4) |
11.7 |
1995 local elections | 28 May 1995 | — | 64.0 | 27.9 | 16.9 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 10.6 | 7.2 | 1.9 | 11.0 |
1994 regional election | 23 Oct 1994 | — | 59.7 | 29.3 22 |
16.8 12 |
16.0 11 |
14.2 11 |
10.1 8 |
9.0 6 |
2.7 5 |
12.5 |
Results
Overall
Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Seats | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | ||
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) | 350,322 | 27.62 | –1.70 | 21 | –1 | |
People's Party (PP) | 251,743 | 19.85 | +5.69 | 16 | +5 | |
Basque Citizens (EH)1 | 224,001 | 17.66 | +1.65 | 14 | +3 | |
Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE (PSOE)) | 220,052 | 17.35 | +0.52 | 14 | +2 | |
Basque Solidarity (EA) | 108,635 | 8.57 | –1.56 | 6 | –2 | |
United Left (IU/EB) | 71,064 | 5.60 | –3.39 | 2 | –4 | |
Alavese Unity (UA) | 15,738 | 1.24 | –1.44 | 2 | –3 | |
Natural Law Party (PLN/LNA) | 4,858 | 0.38 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
Humanist Party (PH) | 3,288 | 0.26 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
Basque Country Greens (EHB) | 864 | 0.07 | New | 0 | ±0 | |
Blank ballots | 17,641 | 1.39 | –0.35 | |||
Total | 1,268,206 | 75 | ±0 | |||
Valid votes | 1,268,206 | 99.47 | +0.06 | |||
Invalid votes | 6,802 | 0.53 | –0.06 | |||
Votes cast / turnout | 1,275,008 | 69.99 | +10.30 | |||
Abstentions | 546,600 | 30.01 | –10.30 | |||
Registered voters | 1,821,608 | |||||
Sources[5][6] | ||||||
Footnotes:
|
Distribution by constituency
Constituency | PNV | PP | EH | PSE–EE | EA | IU/EB | UA | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | |
Álava | 21.6 | 6 | 26.7 | 7 | 12.1 | 3 | 16.8 | 5 | 6.3 | 1 | 5.6 | 1 | 8.4 | 2 |
Biscay | 32.6 | 9 | 20.2 | 5 | 14.6 | 4 | 18.3 | 5 | 6.0 | 1 | 6.2 | 1 | 0.1 | – |
Guipúzcoa | 21.7 | 6 | 16.4 | 4 | 25.2 | 7 | 16.0 | 4 | 13.9 | 4 | 4.6 | – | 0.1 | – |
Total | 27.6 | 21 | 19.9 | 16 | 17.7 | 14 | 17.4 | 14 | 8.6 | 6 | 5.6 | 2 | 1.2 | 2 |
Sources[5][6] |
Aftermath
Investiture | |||
Ballot → | 29 December 1998 | ||
---|---|---|---|
Required majority → | 38 out of 75 | ||
40 / 75 |
|||
18 / 75 |
|||
15 / 75 | |||
2 / 75 | |||
Sources[5] |
Notes
References
- Opinion poll sources
- ^ a b c "Primeros sondeos tras el cierre de los colegios electorales". El Mundo (in Spanish). 25 October 1998.
- ^ a b c "Gran disparidad en los sondeos". El País (in Spanish). 26 October 1998.
- ^ "El 44% de los vascos oculta su voto". El País (in Spanish). 18 October 1998.
- ^ a b "Los sondeos hablan de un incremento de las fuerzas no nacionalistas en los comicios vascos". El Mundo (in Spanish). 18 October 1998.
- ^ "PP y EH se disputan el segundo puesto en las elecciones vascas". El Mundo (in Spanish). 18 October 1998. Archived from the original on 13 January 2001.
- ^ a b "El PP y el PSOE acarician su objetivo". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 19 October 1998.
- ^ "Estancamiento de los nacionalistas de PNV, EH y EA, que obtendrían los mismos escaños que en 1994". ABC (in Spanish). 18 October 1998.
- ^ "Los no nacionalistas ganan posiciones". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 17 October 1998.
- ^ "Un PNV en retroceso vuelve a ganar frente al ascenso de PP y socialistas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 17 October 1998.
- ^ "PSE y PP aumentan su expectativa de voto y bajan PNV, EA y UA". El Correo (in Spanish). 18 October 1998.
- ^ a b "Duelo nacionalistas-no nacionalistas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 9 October 1998.
- ^ "Últimas previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas-98 (Octubre 1998)" (PDF). Basque Government (in Spanish). 16 October 1998.
- ^ "Una nueva encuesta del Gobierno vasco otorga el segundo puesto a EH". El País (in Spanish). 17 October 1998.
- ^ "Preelectoral del País Vasco. Elecciones Autonómicas 1998 (Estudio nº 2304. Septiembre-Octubre 1998)". CIS (in Spanish). 16 October 1998.
- ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2304. Ficha técnica" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 16 October 1998.
- ^ "Un debate electoral sobre política social y empleo reúne por primera vez a PP y EH". ABC (in Spanish). 10 October 1998.
- ^ "Encuestas, patatas fritas y rosas rojas". El País (in Spanish). 10 October 1998.
- ^ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas-98 (Octubre 1998)" (PDF). Basque Government (in Spanish). 8 October 1998.
- ^ "Una encuesta del Gobierno vasco en vísperas de la campaña deja a EH como segunda fuerza tras el PNV". El País (in Spanish). 9 October 1998.
- ^ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas-98 (Septiembre 1998)" (PDF). Basque Government (in Spanish). 25 September 1998.
- ^ "Un sondeo del Gobierno vasco sitúa al PP como segundo partido de Euskadi". El País (in Spanish). 26 September 1998.
- ^ "El PP se perfila por escaso margen como segunda fuerza del País Vasco". El Mundo (in Spanish). 9 September 1998.
- ^ "El incremento del voto beneficia a los partidos no nacionalistas, pero se mantiene el empate técnico". El País (in Spanish). 12 September 1998.
- ^ "La Universidad vasca prevé ascensos de PP y PSE y un retroceso de los nacionalistas". ABC (in Spanish). 12 September 1998.
- ^ "PSE y PP consolidan su avance". El Correo (in Spanish). 21 June 1998.
- ^ "Un nuevo sondeo electoral confima el ascenso de PP y PSOE en el País Vasco". ABC (in Spanish). 22 June 1998.
- ^ "Un nuevo sondeo electoral confirma el ascenso de PP y PSOE en el País Vasco". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 22 June 1998.
- ^ a b "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas (Junio 1998)" (PDF). Basque Government (in Spanish). 23 June 1998.
- ^ "El nacionalismo aguantará el ascenso del PSE y PP, según un sondeo oficial". El País (in Spanish). 24 June 1998.
- ^ "El PNV mantiene la primacía pese al alza de PP y PSOE en el País Vasco". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 20 May 1998.
- ^ "Estudio CIS nº 2282. Ficha técnica" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 19 May 1998.
- ^ "PP y PSE refuerzan su apoyo electoral". El Correo (in Spanish). 29 March 1998.
- ^ "El voto no nacionalista podrían imponerse por primera vez en unas elecciones vascas". ABC (in Spanish). 29 March 1998.
- ^ "El voto no nacionalista podría imponerse por primera vez en unas elecciones vascas". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 29 March 1998.
- ^ "PNV y EA, molestos por el sondeo que prevé la subida de los no nacionalistas". ABC (in Spanish). 30 March 1998.
- ^ "Previsiones de voto para Elecciones Autonómicas-98 (Marzo 1998)" (PDF). Basque Government (in Spanish). 3 March 1998.
- ^ "Una encuesta del Gobierno vasco da al PP el segundo puesto el 25-0". El País (in Spanish). 4 March 1998.
- ^ "Virtual empate entre partidos estatales y nacionalistas ante las elecciones vascas". ABC (in Spanish). 10 November 1997.
- ^ "Un sondeo vaticina una fuerte subida del PP y PSOE vasco en las autonómicas de 1998". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 10 November 1997.
- ^ "Un sondeo indica que los nacionalistas pierden votos en Euskadi". El País (in Spanish). 10 November 1997.
- ^ "Un sondeo coloca al PP vasco como segunda fuerza". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 15 October 1997.
- ^ "El PP será la segunda fuerza en Euskadi, según un sondeo del Gobierno vasco". El País (in Spanish). 15 October 1997.
- ^ "Encuesta del Gobierno vasco". ABC (in Spanish). 15 October 1997.
- ^ "El PP pasaría a ser el segundo partido más votado de Euskadi". El Mundo (in Spanish). 20 July 1997. Archived from the original on 22 November 2001.
- ^ "Un sondeo electoral del Gobierno vasco sitúa al PP como la segunda fuerza en la Comunidad". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 26 March 1997.
- Other
- ^ a b c Ley Orgánica 3/1979, de 18 de diciembre, de Estatuto de Autonomía para el País Vasco (Organic Law 3) (in Spanish). 18 December 1979. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ a b c Ley 5/1990, de 15 de junio, de Elecciones al Parlamento Vasco (Law 5) (in Spanish). 15 June 1990. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ Ley 7/1981, de 30 de junio, sobre Ley de Gobierno (Law 7) (in Spanish). 30 June 1981. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
- ^ Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5) (in Spanish). 19 June 1985. Retrieved 28 December 2016.
- ^ a b c "Elecciones al Parlamento Vasco / Eusko Legebilitzarra (1980 - 2020)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ a b "Election Results Archive". euskadi.eus (in Spanish). Basque Government. Retrieved 24 September 2017.