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All 75 seats in the Basque Parliament 38 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![]() Constituency results map for the Basque Parliament | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2020 Basque regional election was to be held on Sunday, 5 April 2020, simultaneously with a regional election in Galicia, to elect the 12th Parliament of the Basque Autonomous Community, with all 75 seats in the Parliament being up for election.
On 4 February 2020, Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu had discussed holding a snap election within a cabinet meeting, fulfilling a legal requirement previous to any election call and sparking speculation that a regional election was imminent.[2][3][4] Six days later, on 10 February, Urkullu confirmed the election for 5 April, seeking to distance himself from the convoluted political landscape in Catalonia after a 2020 election in the region was announced by Catalan president Quim Torra.[5][6][7] The announcement of the Basque election prompted Galician president Alberto Núñez Feijóo to trigger a snap election in Galicia as well.[8][9] However, on 16 March it was announced that the vote would be postponed for the duration of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain, shortly after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's declaration of a nationwide lockdown in the country starting on the previous day.[10][11][12]
The Basque Parliament is 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.[13]
Voting for the Parliament is on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprises all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Basque Country and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Additionally, Basques abroad are required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado).[14] The 75 members of the Basque Parliament are elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of three percent of valid votes—which includes blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold are not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats are allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, being allocated a fixed number of 25 seats each to provide for an equal representation of the three provinces in parliament as required under the regional statute of autonomy.[13][15] This means that Álava is allocated the same number of seats as Biscay and Gipuzkoa, despite their populations being, as of 1 July 2019, 328,571, 1,138,871 and 714,477, respectively.[16]
The use of the D'Hondt method may result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the district magnitude.[17]
The term of the Basque Parliament expires four years after the date of its previous election, unless it is dissolved earlier. The election decree shall 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 25 September 2016, which means that the legislature's term will expire on 25 September 2020. The election decree must be published in the BOPV no later than 1 September 2020, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Sunday, 25 October 2020.[13][15][18]
The lehendakari has the prerogative to dissolve the Basque Parliament at any given time and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence is 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 is to be dissolved and a fresh election called.[19]
On 4 February 2020, it was revealed that Iñigo Urkullu was considering holding a snap election within a short timeframe and that he had fulfilled legal requirements for it by raising such hypothesis within a cabinet meeting,[20][21] with 5 April being regarded as the most likely date.[2] The decision of Catalan president Quim Torra on 29 January to announce a snap Catalan regional election to be held at some point throughout 2020 was said to have raised concerns within Urkullu's government, as the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) sought to prevent the next Basque regional election from being held simultaneously to prevent any interference from the Catalan political debate into the Basque campaign.[3][22][23]
Asked in a plenary session of parliament on 7 February on whether he would be dissolving the chamber within the following days, Urkullu refused to either explicitly confirm or reject such hypothesis, but asked opposition parties for a commitment to approve as many legislation as possible "now and in the future".[24][25] Sources within the Basque government pointed out that, for an election to be held on 5 April, the dissolution decree would have to be published in the BOPV on Tuesday, 11 February, and that if a snap election was to be eventually called the announcement of it happening could be delayed up to that day.[26][27] Finally, Urkullu confirmed on 10 February the election date for 5 April, with the subsequent dissolution of parliament to be made official on the next day.[6][28][29]
The Basque Parliament was officially dissolved on 11 February 2020, after the publication of the dissolution decree in the Official Gazette of the Basque Country.[30] The table below shows the status of the parliamentary groups in the chamber at the time of dissolution.[31][32]
Groups | Parties | Legislators | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Seats | Total | ||||
Basque Nationalists | EAJ/PNV | 28 | 28 | ||
EH Bildu | EH Bildu | 18 | 18 | ||
Elkarrekin Podemos | Podemos | 8 | 11 | ||
EzAn–IU | 2 | ||||
Equo | 1 | ||||
Basque Socialists | PSE–EE (PSOE) | 9 | 9 | ||
Basque People's | PP | 9 | 9 |
The electoral law allows 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 are required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors need to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they seek election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[15][33]
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which will likely contest the election:
Candidacy | Parties and alliances |
Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | Gov. | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes (%) | Seats | ||||||||
EAJ/PNV | List
|
![]() |
Iñigo Urkullu | Basque nationalism Christian democracy Social democracy |
37.36% | 28 | ![]() |
[34] | |
EH Bildu | List
|
![]() |
Maddalen Iriarte | Basque independence Left-wing nationalism Socialism |
21.13% | 18 | ![]() |
[35] [36] [37] | |
Elkarrekin Podemos–IU |
List
|
![]() |
Miren Gorrotxategi | Left-wing populism Direct democracy Democratic socialism |
14.76% | 11 | ![]() |
[38] [39] [40] | |
PP+Cs | List
|
![]() |
Carlos Iturgaiz | Conservatism Liberalism |
12.13%[a] | 9 | ![]() |
[41] [42] [43] [44] | |
PSE–EE (PSOE) |
List
|
![]() |
Idoia Mendia | Social democracy | 11.86% | 9 | ![]() |
[45] | |
Vox | List
|
![]() |
None[b] | Right-wing populism Ultranationalism National conservatism |
0.07% | 0 | ![]() |
[46] |
In August 2018, Pilar Zabala, the leader of Elkarrekin Podemos, announced that she would not seek reelection and would leave politics by the end of the legislature.[47] Ahead of the election, Equo was excluded from the coalition after the party had broken up with the Unidas Podemos nationwide alliance to join Más País in the lead up to the November 2019 Spanish general election.[48]
Alfonso Alonso had been initially scheduled to repeat as the leading candidate for the People's Party (PP) in the regional election, having been confirmed for the post on 10 February 2020.[49][50] However, the negotiation of a coalition with Citizens (Cs) which the Basque PP received with heavy criticism, amid claims of having been overruled and swept aside by the party's national leadership in the coalition talks,[51][52] triggered an internal clash which led national PP leader Pablo Casado to force Alonso's removal as candidate on 23 February and propose Carlos Iturgaiz for the post instead.[42]
The key dates are listed below (all times are CET):[15][33][53][54]
Party or alliance | Original slogan | English translation | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
EAJ/PNV | « Gure Bidean » « Hacemos Euskadi » |
"On Our Way" "We Make the Basque Country" |
[56] | |
EH Bildu | « Merezi Duzun Herria Egiteko Prest » « Haz Posible el País que Mereces » |
"Prepared to Make the Country you Deserve" "Make it Possible the Country you Deserve" |
||
Elkarrekin Podemos | ||||
PP+Cs | ||||
PSE–EE (PSOE) | « Ni un Paso Atrás » « Aurrera Goaz » |
"No Step Backwards" "We Go Forward" |
[57] | |
Vox |
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 given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 38 seats are required for an absolute majority in the Basque Parliament.
Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | PNV | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Lead |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 1] | 5 Apr 2020 | 1,000 | ? | 38.9 29 |
22.9 17 |
10.3 9 |
14.9 13 |
[c] | [c] | 2.1 0 |
8.4 7 |
16.0 |
NC Report/La Razón[p 2] | 1–4 Apr 2020 | 1,000 | ? | 36.2 27/28 |
24.0 18/19 |
9.6 7/8 |
13.1 10/11 |
[c] | [c] | 2.3 0/1 |
12.0 9/10 |
12.2 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 3] | 8–10 Mar 2020 | ? | 36.4[d] | 34.7 26 |
26.7 20 |
12.8 11 |
14.3 11 |
[c] | [c] | 2.3 1 |
7.0 6 |
8.0 |
52.0[e] | 38.1 28 |
23.4 18 |
10.9 9 |
14.6 12 |
[c] | [c] | 2.4 1 |
8.2 7 |
14.7 | |||
63.2[f] | 38.2 28 |
23.3 18 |
10.9 9 |
14.7 12 |
[c] | [c] | 2.4 1 |
8.3 7 |
14.9 | |||
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 3][p 4] | 2–7 Mar 2020 | ? | ? | 38.3 28 |
23.4 18 |
10.9 9 |
14.8 13 |
[c] | [c] | 2.3 0 |
8.2 7 |
14.9 |
GAD3/ABC[p 5][p 6] | 2–6 Mar 2020 | 800 | ? | 39.9 30/31 |
22.6 18/19 |
9.7 7 |
13.9 10/12 |
[c] | [c] | 2.9 1 |
8.6 7 |
17.3 |
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 7] | 2–5 Mar 2020 | ? | ? | 43.5 33/35 |
21.5 16/19 |
10.1 6/7 |
14.1 11 |
[c] | [c] | 1.2 0 |
7.1 5 |
22.0 |
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 8][p 9] | 1 Mar 2020 | ? | ? | 41.9 32/34 |
23.1 18/21 |
10.3 6/8 |
14.8 10/11 |
[c] | [c] | 1.2 0 |
7.5 4/5 |
18.8 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 10] | 23 Feb–1 Mar 2020 | ? | ? | 38.4 28 |
23.5 18 |
10.9 9 |
15.0 13 |
[c] | [c] | 2.2 0 |
8.2 7 |
14.9 |
SocioMétrica/El Español[p 11] | 26–28 Feb 2020 | 900 | ? | 37.3 27 |
22.2 18 |
12.0 10 |
14.1 12 |
[c] | [c] | 3.1 1 |
9.3 7 |
15.1 |
NC Report/La Razón[p 12][p 13] | 24–28 Feb 2020 | 1,000 | ? | 36.9 26/27 |
22.8 18/19 |
11.1 8/9 |
13.7 11/12 |
[c] | [c] | 1.3 0 |
11.7 9/10 |
14.1 |
Gizaker/EiTB[p 14] | 25–27 Feb 2020 | 1,200 | 67.9 | 40.7 31 |
23.2 18/19 |
10.6 7/9 |
14.5 11/13 |
[c] | [c] | 1.9 0/1 |
7.3 5/6 |
17.5 |
KeyData/Público[p 15] | 26 Feb 2020 | ? | 61.9 | 40.2 31 |
22.5 19 |
11.0 8 |
14.5 12 |
[c] | [c] | 2.2 0 |
7.0 5 |
17.7 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 16][p 17] | 18–26 Feb 2020 | 1,750 | 65.4 | 39.2 29 |
23.0 19 |
11.4 8 |
15.1 12 |
[c] | [c] | 1.8 0 |
7.9 7 |
16.2 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 18] | 13–22 Feb 2020 | ? | ? | 38.1 28 |
23.7 19 |
10.8 8 |
15.3 13 |
[c] | [c] | 2.2 0 |
8.0 7 |
14.4 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 19][p 20] | 10–12 Feb 2020 | ? | ? | 37.7 28 |
23.8 19 |
10.9 8 |
15.2 13 |
[c] | [c] | 1.6 0 |
8.5 7 |
13.9 |
? | 37.7 29 |
23.8 20 |
10.9 9 |
14.9 12 |
7.1 5 |
1.3 0 |
2.0 0 |
– | 13.9 | |||
GAD3/ABC[p 21][p 22] | 6–12 Feb 2020 | 904 | ? | 40.5 31/32 |
22.4 18/19 |
10.9 7/9 |
12.3 10 |
7.9 7 |
0.8 0 |
2.1 0 |
– | 18.1 |
Gizaker/EiTB[p 23] | 31 Jan–4 Feb 2020 | 1,200 | 69.2 | 40.9 31/32 |
22.6 17/19 |
11.2 8/9 |
14.4 11/12 |
7.2 5/6 |
0.7 0 |
2.1 0 |
– | 18.3 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 24] | 26–30 Jan 2020 | ? | ? | 38.6 30 |
23.4 20 |
10.5 8 |
14.7 12 |
7.0 5 |
2.1 0 |
1.5 0 |
– | 15.2 |
November 2019 general election | 10 Nov 2019 | N/A | 66.4 | 32.0 24 |
18.7 15 |
15.4 12 |
19.2 16 |
8.8 7 |
1.1 0 |
2.4 1 |
– | 12.8 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 25] | 1–9 Oct 2019 | 2,170 | 62.9 | 39.7 30 |
21.7 17 |
11.5 9 |
14.8 12 |
7.9 7 |
1.2 0 |
1.3 0 |
– | 18.0 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 26] | 13 Aug 2019 | ? | ? | 38.9 30 |
23.3 20 |
10.1 8 |
14.9 12 |
6.4 5 |
2.5 0 |
1.7 0 |
– | 15.6 |
electoPanel/electomania.es[p 27] | 10 Jul 2019 | ? | ? | 39.9 32 |
22.8 20 |
9.4 6 |
16.5 13 |
6.3 4 |
1.9 0 |
1.3 0 |
– | 17.1 |
CPS/EHU[p 28] | 28 May–19 Jun 2019 | 1,200 | 65.0 | 39.4 30 |
22.8 19 |
9.6 6 |
18.1 14 |
7.4 6 |
1.0 0 |
0.5 0 |
– | 16.6 |
2019 foral election[p 29] | 26 May 2019 | N/A | 65.9 | 38.7 30 |
23.8 19 |
9.9 7 |
17.0 13 |
7.2 6 |
1.3 0 |
0.7 0 |
– | 14.9 |
2019 EP election | 26 May 2019 | N/A | 62.9 | 33.9 27 |
22.0 19 |
11.1 8 |
19.0 15 |
6.4 5 |
2.7 1 |
1.2 0 |
– | 11.9 |
April 2019 general election | 28 Apr 2019 | N/A | 71.8 | 31.0 24 |
16.7 13 |
17.6 15 |
19.9 16 |
7.4 6 |
3.2 1 |
2.2 0 |
– | 12.1 |
CPS/EHU[p 30] | 15 Oct–9 Nov 2018 | 1,200 | 60.0 | 38.3 31 |
23.1 18 |
10.3 7 |
13.5 11 |
8.2 7 |
3.0 1 |
– | – | 15.2 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 31] | 8–15 May 2018 | 2,313 | 58.8 | 39.0 30 |
22.5 18 |
12.8 10 |
11.5 9 |
8.9 7 |
2.6 1 |
– | – | 16.5 |
SyM Consulting[p 32][p 33] | 7–9 May 2018 | 650 | 62.2 | 38.0 28 |
20.9 15/18 |
14.2 11/12 |
12.5 9/10 |
7.4 6 |
4.3 3/4 |
– | – | 17.1 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 34] | 26 Feb–5 Mar 2018 | 1,973 | 58.6 | 38.8 30 |
21.9 18 |
12.9 10 |
12.2 9 |
8.6 7 |
3.1 1 |
– | – | 16.9 |
Gizaker/EiTB[p 35] | 22–23 Feb 2018 | 1,200 | 62.7 | 40.7 31 |
22.3 18 |
12.4 10 |
12.0 9 |
8.1 6 |
2.4 1 |
– | – | 18.4 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 36] | 24–30 Oct 2017 | 2,295 | 60.3 | 37.9 29 |
22.5 18 |
12.5 10 |
12.0 9 |
9.8 9 |
2.1 0 |
– | – | 15.4 |
Gizaker/EiTB[p 37] | 2–4 Oct 2017 | 1,200 | 60.5 | 39.7 30 |
23.4 19 |
11.6 10 |
12.6 9 |
9.0 7 |
1.6 0 |
– | – | 16.3 |
CPS/EHU[p 38] | 2 May–2 Jun 2017 | 1,200 | 60.0 | 38.6 29/30 |
20.8 15/17 |
13.9 10/11 |
13.0 9 |
9.2 7/9 |
2.4 1 |
– | – | 18.1 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 39] | 16–22 May 2017 | 2,268 | 58.6 | 37.8 29 |
21.6 18 |
13.9 10 |
11.7 9 |
9.7 9 |
? 0 |
– | – | 16.2 |
Gizaker/EiTB[p 40] | 22–24 Feb 2017 | 1,200 | 60.4 | 38.2 29 |
21.2 18 |
12.8 9 |
13.4 11 |
9.7 8 |
2.3 0 |
– | – | 17.0 |
Ikertalde/GPS[p 41][p 42] | 7–12 Feb 2017 | 2,268 | 58.2 | 38.2 29 |
21.6 18 |
13.6 10 |
11.6 9 |
10.0 9 |
? 0 |
– | – | 16.6 |
2016 regional election | 25 Sep 2016 | N/A | 60.0 | 37.4 28 |
21.1 18 |
14.8 11 |
11.9 9 |
10.1 9 |
2.0 0 |
0.1 0 |
– | 16.3 |
Parties and coalitions | Popular vote | Seats | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− | |||||
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) | |||||||||
Basque Country Unite (EH Bildu) | |||||||||
United We Can–United Left (Podemos/Ahal Dugu, Ezker Anitza–IU) | |||||||||
People's Party+Citizens (PP+Cs)1 | |||||||||
Socialist Party of the Basque Country–Basque Country Left (PSE–EE (PSOE)) | |||||||||
Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA/ATTKAA) | |||||||||
Zero Cuts–The Greens–Solidaria (Recortes Cero–LV–S) | |||||||||
Blank Seats (EB/AZ) | |||||||||
Vox (Vox) | |||||||||
Welcome (Ongi Etorri) | |||||||||
Humanist Party (PH) | |||||||||
Equo Greens–Basque Country Greens (Equo Berdeak–Verdes) | New | ||||||||
Foralist League (LFF) | New | ||||||||
Free for the Basque Country (LxE) | New | ||||||||
For a Fairer World (PUM+J) | New | ||||||||
Communist Party of the Workers of the Basque Country (ELAK/PCTE) | New | ||||||||
Spanish Christian Democratic Union (UCDE) | New | ||||||||
Blank ballots | |||||||||
Total | 75 | ±0 | |||||||
Valid votes | |||||||||
Invalid votes | |||||||||
Votes cast / turnout | |||||||||
Abstentions | |||||||||
Registered voters | 1,793,878 | ||||||||
Sources | |||||||||
|
Constituency | PNV | EH Bildu | EP–IU | PP+Cs | PSE–EE | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | |
Álava | ||||||||||
Biscay | ||||||||||
Gipuzkoa | ||||||||||
Total | ||||||||||
Sources |