# 1999 European Parliament election in Spain

The 1999 European Parliament election in Spain was held on Sunday, 13 June 1999, as part of the EU-wide election to elect the 5th European Parliament. All 64 seats allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Amsterdam were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.
The ruling People's Party (PP)—which for the first time contested a nationwide election in Spain while in government—emerged as the largest political force in the country, albeit with a diminished victory margin than in the previous election held in 1994. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), in opposition for the first time since 1982, recovered some ground from its previous result. Overall, the PP lead decreased from 9.3 to 4.4 percentage points, though this was an increase from the 1.2 points between both parties in the 1996 general election. United Left (IU) lost half of its votes and parliamentary representation amid internal divisions—Initiative for Catalonia (IC) and the New Left (NI) had split from the larger alliance in 1997—policy differences over their relationship with the PSOE and the deteriorating health condition of IU's maverick leader, Julio Anguita.

## Electoral system

64 members of the European Parliament were allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Amsterdam. Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals and resident non-national European citizens over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.
All seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with no electoral threshold being applied in order to be entitled to enter seat distribution. Seats were allocated to a single multi-member constituency comprising the entire national territory. The use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.

## Outgoing delegation

Outgoing delegation in May 1999 :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | MEPs | MEPs |
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | Seats | Total |
| | European People's Party | | PP | 26 | 29 |
| | European People's Party | | UPN | 2 | 29 |
| | European People's Party | | UDC | 1 | 29 |
| | Party of European Socialists | | PSOE | 21 | 21 |
| | European United Left–Nordic Green Left | | IU | 8 | 9 |
| | European United Left–Nordic Green Left | | IC–V | 1 | 9 |
| | European Radical Alliance | | PAR | 1 | 3 |
| | European Radical Alliance | | CG | 1 | 3 |
| | European Radical Alliance | | INDEP | 1 | 3 |
| | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | | CDC | 2 | 2 |

## 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. In order to be entitled to run, parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least 15,000 registered electors; this requirement could be lifted and replaced through the signature of at least 50 elected officials—deputies, senators, MEPs or members from the legislative assemblies of autonomous communities or from local city councils. Electors and elected officials were disallowed from signing for more than one list of candidates.
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Previous result | Previous result | Ref. |
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Votes (%) | Seats | Ref. |
| | PP | List People's Party (PP) Navarrese People's Union (UPN) | | Loyola de Palacio | Conservatism Christian democracy | 40.12% | 28 | |
| | PSOE–p | List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) Democratic Party of the New Left (PDNI) | | Rosa Díez | Social democracy | 30.79% | 22 | |
| | IU–EUiA | List United Left (IU) – Communist Party of Spain (PCE) – Socialist Action Party (PASOC) – Republican Left (IR) – Collective for the Unity of Workers–Andalusian Left Bloc (CUT–BAI) – Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR) – Workers' Revolutionary Party (PRT) United and Alternative Left (EUiA) – Living Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUCviu) – Party of the Communists of Catalonia (PCC) | | Alonso Puerta | Socialism Communism | 11.92% | 9 | [7] [8] |
| | CiU | List Convergence and Union (CiU) – Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) – Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC) Valencian Nationalist Bloc (BNV) PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN) | | Pere Esteve | Catalan nationalism Centrism | 4.66% | 3 | |
| | CN–EP | List Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Basque Solidarity (EA) Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) Majorcan Union (UM) The Greens–Ecologist Confederation of Catalonia (EV–CEC) | | Josu Ortuondo | Peripheral nationalism | 2.84% | 2 | [10] [11] |
| | CE | List Canarian Coalition (CC) Andalusian Party (PA) Valencian Union (UV) Aragonese Party (PAR) | | Isidoro Sánchez | Regionalism | 2.17% | 0 | |
| | LV–IP | List Initiative for Catalonia–Greens (IC–V) The Greens (LV) Aragonese Union (CHA) Left of Galicia (EdeG) Andalusian Left (IA) | | Antoni Gutiérrez | Green politics Eco-socialism Left-wing nationalism | 1.53% | 0 | |
| | EH | List Popular Unity (HB) – Basque Nationalist Action (EAE/ANV) Assembly (Batzarre) Stand Up (Zutik) | | Koldo Gorostiaga | Basque independence Left-wing nationalism Revolutionary socialism | 0.97% | 0 | |
| | BNG | List Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) – Galician People's Union (UPG) – Socialist Collective (CS) – Galician Nationalist Party–Galicianist Party (PNG–PG) – Nationalist Left (EN) – Inzar (Inzar) – Galician Unity (UG) | | Camilo Nogueira | Galician nationalism Left-wing nationalism Socialism | 0.75% | 0 | |

## 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 given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | | | | | CN–EP | | BNG | CE | LV–IP | Lead |
| 1999 EP election | 13 Jun 1999 | — | 63.0 | 39.7 27 | 35.3 24 | 5.8 4 | 4.4 3 | 2.9 2 | 1.5 1 | 1.6 1 | 3.2 2 | 1.4 0 | 4.4 |
| Ipsos–Eco Consulting/ABC | 24 May–2 Jun 1999 | 2,000 | ? | 40.9 28 | 35.2 24 | 10.4 7 | 4.5 3 | 2.4 1 | 0.5 0 | 0.5 0 | 1.8 1 | – | 5.7 |
| Demoscopia/El País | 26 May–1 Jun 1999 | 17,500 | 67 | 41.1 28 | 35.6 24 | 8.8 5/6 | 5.2 3 | 2.9 1 | – | 1.8 1 | 1.6 1 | 1.4 0/1 | 5.5 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 28–31 May 1999 | 2,600 | ? | 41.8 28/30 | 36.2 24/26 | 7.9 5 | 4.4 3 | 2.4 1 | – | – | 1.9 1 | 1.2 0 | 5.6 |
| CIS | 3–26 May 1999 | 4,797 | ? | 41.5 28/29 | 35.5 24/25 | 8.1 5/6 | 4.2 2/3 | 2.3 1 | 1.0 0 | 1.0 0 | 2.3 1 | 2.4 1 | 6.0 |
| Metra Seis/Colpisa | 14–20 May 1999 | 1,200 | ? | 40.2 27/29 | 36.8 24/26 | 8.8 5/7 | 4.7 3 | 2.8 1/2 | 0.9 0 | 0.9 0 | 2.8 1/2 | – | 3.4 |
| Gallup/El Correo | 5–30 Mar 1999 | 2,031 | ? | 41.0 28 | 38.0 26 | 9.0 6 | 4.0 2 | ? 1 | – | – | ? 1 | – | 3.0 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 26–27 Dec 1998 | 1,000 | ? | 43.4 30/31 | 35.1 24/25 | 8.2 5/6 | 4.1 2/3 | 2.3 1 | – | – | – | – | 8.3 |
| 1994 EP election | 12 Jun 1994 | — | 59.1 | 40.1 28 | 30.8 22 | 13.4 9 | 4.7 3 | 4.1 2 | 1.0 0 | 0.7 0 | – | – | 9.3 |

## Results
### Overall

← Summary of the 13 June 1999 European Parliament election results in Spain → :
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote | Seats | Seats |
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− |
| | People's Party (PP) | 8,410,993 | 39.74 | –0.38 | 27 | –1 |
| | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party–Progressives (PSOE–p) | 7,477,823 | 35.33 | +4.54 | 24 | +2 |
| | United Left–United and Alternative Left (IU–EUiA)$^1$ | 1,221,566 | 5.77 | –6.15 | 4 | –5 |
| | Convergence and Union (CiU) | 937,687 | 4.43 | –0.23 | 3 | ±0 |
| | European Coalition (CE)$^2$ | 677,094 | 3.20 | +1.03 | 2 | +2 |
| | Nationalist Coalition–Europe of the Peoples (CN–EP)$^3$ | 613,968 | 2.90 | +0.06 | 2 | ±0 |
| | Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) | 349,079 | 1.65 | +0.90 | 1 | +1 |
| | Basque Citizens (EH)$^4$ | 306,923 | 1.45 | +0.48 | 1 | +1 |
| | The Greens–Left of the Peoples (LV–IP)$^5$ | 300,874 | 1.42 | –0.11 | 0 | ±0 |
| | The Greens–Green Group (LV–GV) | 138,835 | 0.66 | +0.07 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Centrist Union–Democratic and Social Centre (UC–CDS) | 38,911 | 0.18 | –0.81 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Leonese People's Union (UPL) | 33,604 | 0.16 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Confederation of Feminist Organizations (COFEM/FEMEK) | 28,901 | 0.14 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) | 26,189 | 0.12 | –0.04 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Asturian Renewal Union (URAS) | 22,400 | 0.11 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Party for Independence (PI) | 17,544 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Spanish Democratic Party (PADE) | 16,001 | 0.08 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | United Extremadura (EU) | 15,716 | 0.07 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Asturianist Party (PAS) | 15,299 | 0.07 | –0.01 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Independent Spanish Phalanx (FEI) | 13,940 | 0.07 | +0.04 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party (TC–PNC)$^6$ | 13,267 | 0.06 | +0.04 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Alliance for National Unity (AUN) | 12,486 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Humanist Party (PH) | 12,415 | 0.06 | +0.02 | 0 | ±0 |
| | The Phalanx (FE) | 10,792 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Independent Socialists of Extremadura (SIEx) | 10,040 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Regionalist Unity of Castile and León (URCL) | 9,950 | 0.05 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Andalusia Assembly (A) | 8,750 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Natural Law Party (PLN) | 8,671 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Party of Self-employed of Spain and Spanish Independent Groups (PAE–I) | 8,394 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Valencian Community Alternative (ACV) | 8,073 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | National Democracy (DN) | 8,053 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Andecha Astur (AA) | 7,321 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Union of Regions (UDR) | 7,251 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Extremaduran Coalition (PREx–CREx)$^7$ | 7,230 | 0.03 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Regionalist Party of the Leonese Country (PREPAL) | 6,977 | 0.03 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Coalition for the Repeal of the Maastricht Treaty (DM)$^8$ | 5,664 | 0.03 | –0.01 | 0 | ±0 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 357,583 | 1.69 | +0.54 | | |
| Total | Total | 21,166,264 | | | 64 | ±0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 21,166,264 | 99.21 | –0.33 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 168,684 | 0.79 | +0.33 | | |
| Votes cast / turnout | Votes cast / turnout | 21,334,948 | 63.05 | +3.91 | | |
| Abstentions | Abstentions | 12,505,484 | 36.95 | –3.91 | | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 33,840,432 | | | | |
| Sources |||||||
| Footnotes: $^1$ United Left–United and Alternative Left results are compared to United Left totals in the 1994 election, not including Catalonia.$^2$ European Coalition results are compared to the combined totals of Nationalist Coalition in Aragon, the Canary Islands and the Valencian Community and Andalusian Coalition–Andalusian Power in the 1994 election.$^3$ Nationalist Coalition–Europe of the Peoples results are compared to the combined totals of Nationalist Coalition—not including results in Aragon, the Canary Islands, Galicia and the Valencian Community—, For the Europe of the Peoples—not including results in Cantabria, Castile and León, Castilla–La Mancha, La Rioja and Madrid—and The Greens–Ecologist Confederation of Catalonia in the 1994 election.$^4$ Basque Citizens results are compared to Popular Unity totals in the 1994 election.$^5$ The Greens–Left of the Peoples results are compared to United Left totals in Catalonia in the 1994 election.$^6$ Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party results are compared to For the Europe of the Peoples totals in Cantabria, Castile and León, Castilla–La Mancha, La Rioja and Madrid in the 1994 election.$^7$ Extremaduran Coalition results are compared to Extremaduran Regionalist Party totals in the 1994 election.$^8$ Coalition for the Repeal of the Maastricht Treaty results are compared to Coalition for a New Socialist Party totals in the 1994 election. |||||||
Popular vote
PP
39.74%
PSOE–p
35.33%
IU–EUiA
5.77%
CiU
4.43%
CE
3.20%
CN–EP
2.90%
BNG
1.65%
EH
1.45%
LV–IP
1.42%
Others
2.42%
Blank ballots
1.69% :
Seats
PP
42.19%
PSOE–p
37.50%
IU–EUiA
6.25%
CiU
4.69%
CE
3.13%
CN–EP
3.13%
BNG
1.56%
EH
1.56% :

### Maps

* Vote winner strength by province.
* Vote winner strength by autonomous community.

### Distribution by European group

Summary of political group distribution in the 5th European Parliament (1999–2004) :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Seats | Total | % |
| | European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) | People's Party (PP) Navarrese People's Union (UPN) Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC) | 26 1 1 | 28 | 43.75 |
| | Party of European Socialists (PES) | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Democratic Party of the New Left (PDNI) | 22 2 | 24 | 37.50 |
| | Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) | Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Basque Solidarity (EA) Andalusian Party (PA) Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) | 1 1 1 1 | 4 | 6.25 |
| | European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) | United Left (IU) | 4 | 4 | 6.25 |
| | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party (ELDR) | Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) Canarian Coalition (CC) | 2 1 | 3 | 4.69 |
| | Non-Inscrits (NI) | Basque Citizens (EH) | 1 | 1 | 1.56 |
| Total | Total | Total | 64 | 64 | 100.00 |

### Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators:
Elected legislators :
| # | Name | List |
| 1 | Loyola Palacio Valle-Lersundi | PP |
| 2 | Rosa María Díez González | PSOE–p |
| 3 | José María Gil-Robles Gil-Delgado | PP |
| 4 | José María Obiols i Germa (Raimon) | PSOE–p |
| 5 | José Gerardo Galeote Quecedo | PP |
| 6 | Francisca Sauquillo Pérez del Arco | PSOE–p |
| 7 | Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca | PP |
| 8 | Enrique Barón Crespo | PSOE–p |
| 9 | María del Carmen Fraga Estévez | PP |
| 10 | María del Carmen Cerdeira Morterero | PSOE–p |
| 11 | Mónica María Ridruejo Ostrowska | PP |
| 12 | Carlos Westendorp y Cabeza | PSOE–p |
| 13 | Alonso José Puerta Gutiérrez | IU–EUiA |
| 14 | Theresa María Zabell Lucas | PP |
| 15 | Manuel Medina Ortega | PSOE–p |
| 16 | José Manuel García-Margallo Marfil | PP |
| 17 | Pere Esteve i Abad | CiU |
| 18 | José María Mendiluce Pereiro | PSOE–p |
| 19 | José Javier Pomes Ruiz | PP |
| 20 | Ana Isabel Palacio del Valle-del Lersundi | PP |
| 21 | Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop | PSOE–p |
| 22 | Alejandro Agag Longo | PP |
| 23 | Pedro Aparicio Sánchez | PSOE–p |
| 24 | Encarnación Redondo Jiménez | PP |
| 25 | Luis Francisco Berenguer Fuster | PSOE–p |
| 26 | Salvador Jove Peres | IU–EUiA |
| 27 | Isidoro Sánchez García | CE |
| 28 | Juan Ojeda Sanz | PP |
| 29 | Juan de Dios Izquierdo Collado | PSOE–p |
| 30 | Josu Ortuondo Larrea | CN–EP |
| 31 | Laura de la Paz Mercedes González Álvarez | IU–EUiA |
| 32 | Fernando Manuel Fernández Martín | PP |
| 33 | María Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco | PSOE–p |
| 34 | Jaime Valdivielso de-Cue | PP |
| 35 | Carlos Carnero González | PSOE–p |
| 36 | Juan Manuel Fabra Valles | PP |
| 37 | María Izquierdo Rojo | PSOE–p |
| 38 | María del Pilar Ayuso González | PP |
| 39 | Concepció Ferrer i Casals | CiU |
| 40 | Alejandro Cercas Alonso | PSOE–p |
| 41 | Íñigo Méndez de Vigo Montojo | PP |
| 42 | José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra | PP |
| 43 | Joan Colom i Naval | PSOE–p |
| 44 | Manuel Pérez Álvarez | PP |
| 45 | María Rodríguez Ramos | PSOE–p |
| 46 | Pedro Marset Campos | IU–EUiA |
| 47 | Cristina García-Orcoyen Tormo | PP |
| 48 | Miguel Ángel Martínez Martínez | PSOE–p |
| 49 | Daniel Luis Varela Suanzes-Carpegna | PP |
| 50 | María Sornosa Martínez | PSOE–p |
| 51 | María Antonia Avilés Perea | PP |
| 52 | Fernando Pérez Royo | PSOE–p |
| 53 | Salvador Garriga Polledo | PP |
| 54 | Camilo Nogueira Román | BNG |
| 55 | Ana Terrón Cusi | PSOE–p |
| 56 | Carlos Bautista Ojeda | CE |
| 57 | Carlos Bartolomé Ripoll i Martínez de Bedoya | PP |
| 58 | Emilio Menéndez del Valle | PSOE–p |
| 59 | Jorge Salvador Hernández Mollar | PP |
| 60 | Carles Alfred Gasòliba i Böhm | CiU |
| 61 | Rosa María Miguélez Ramos | PSOE–p |
| 62 | Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines Corral | PP |
| 63 | Gorka Knörr Borras | CN–EP |
| 64 | Koldo Gorostiaga Atxalandabaso | EH |