Spain

Senate

Political system: Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament: Bicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Background

Election date(s): 28 Apr 2019
Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature: 05 Mar 2019
Timing of election: Early elections
Number of seats at stake: 208
Scope of elections: Full renewal

Candidates

The number of candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes
The number of women candidates is not available from authoritative sources.: Yes

Results

About the election: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) became the largest party in both chambers of the Cortes but fell short of the majority, taking 123 seats in the 350-member Congress of Deputies and 121 seats in the 265-member Senate (of whom 208 are directly elected). The People's Party (PP, the largest party in the outgoing legislature now led by Mr. Pablo Casado) saw its share more than halved in both chambers, taking 66 Deputy seats and 56 Senate seats. The Ciudadanos ("Citizens", C's, led by Mr. Albert Rivera) came third in the Congress of Deputies before the Podemos ("We Can") - IU (United Left) – EQUO, led by Mr. Pablo Iglesias. The Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) - Sovereigntists (Sobiranistes), a pro-independence Catalan party, took a total of 26 seats in the Cortes, thereby becoming the largest Catalan party in the new legislature. A record 166 women were elected to the Congress of Deputies (47.4%), up from 137 (39.1%) elected in 2016.

The early elections in April 2019 were the first to be held under Prime Minister Sánchez (PSOE) who had had succeeded Mr. Mariano Rajoy (PP) in June 2018. The PSOE held only 85 of the 350 seats in the outgoing Congress and needed to rely on other parties to govern. On 15 February 2019, Prime Minister Sánchez called early elections after his government failed to pass the budget law in Parliament. During election campaigning, the major parties focused on immigration, unemployment, corruption and Catalan independence. The April 2019 elections – the third elections in four years – triggered prolonged coalition talks. The talks between PSOE and Podemos did not bear fruit before the deadline of 23 September to form a government, prompting King Felipe VI to call a snap election in November.
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 58.2%

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	121
People's Party (PP)	56
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) - Sovereigntists (Sobiranistes)	11
Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV)	9
Ciudadanos (Citizens", C's)	4
Navarra Suma (NA+)	3
Junts per Catalunya (“Together for Catalonia”, JxCAT) - Junts	2
Gomera Socialist Group (ASG)	1
Unite Basque Country (Euskal Herria Bildueh Bildu, EH Bildu)	1

Members elected, by sex

Number of women elected: -

Notes:
As at 10 May 2019, there were 90 women out of 231 senators, with 35 vacant seats among the 58 indirectly elected senators, as follows:

- 82 women among 208 directly elected senators;

- 8 women among 23 indirectly elected senators.

The vacancies will be filled after 26 May 2019.
Women Directly Elected: 82
Women Indirectly Elected: 8
Other notes on the elections: The Cortes were dissolved on 24 September 2019 in view of new early elections to be held on 10 November.

Between the dissolution and the convening of the newly elected legislature, the Permanent Deputation, which comprises a reduced number of members of parliament, assumes the legislative powers.

As at 27 September 2019, the Permanent Deputation of the Senate comprised 73 members, 28 of whom were women.
Sources: IPU Group (09.05.2019, 10.05.2019, 25.09.2019)

Ministry of Interior (https://www.resultados.eleccionesgenerales19.es)

BBC Monitoring

El País

euronews.com

theguardian.com

AFP

catalannews.com

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 141
Total number of women after the election: 90
Percentage of women after the election: 39.0%
First-term parliamentarians: No information available
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: No information available
Date of the first session: 21 May 2019

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Manuel Cruz Rodríguez (Male)
Date of birth: 1951
Political party: Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)
Date of election: 21 May 2019