# 2004 European Parliament election in Spain

The 2004 European Parliament election in Spain was held on Sunday, 13 June 2004, as part of the EU-wide election to elect the 6th European Parliament. All 54 seats allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Nice were up for election.
The election saw a close race between the centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which had accessed power earlier in April in the wake of the 11M train bombings leading up to the 14 March general election, and the centre-right People's Party (PP), still reeling from its election defeat. It marked the only time the PSOE emerged as the largest party in a European Parliament election in Spain between 1989 and 2019. It also saw a considerable drop in turnout down to 45.1%, the lowest up until that point—a figure that would be outmatched by the turnout in the two subsequent European Parliament elections, 2009 (44.9%) and 2014 (43.8%).

## Electoral system

54 members of the European Parliament were allocated to Spain as per the Treaty of Nice. 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 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 2004 :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | MEPs | MEPs |
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Parties | Seats | Total |
| | European People's Party–European Democrats | | PP | 26 | 28 |
| | European People's Party–European Democrats | | UPN | 1 | 28 |
| | European People's Party–European Democrats | | UDC | 1 | 28 |
| | Party of European Socialists | | PSOE | 23 | 24 |
| | Party of European Socialists | | LV | 1 | 24 |
| | European United Left–Nordic Green Left | | IU | 4 | 4 |
| | Greens–European Free Alliance | | BNG | 1 | 4 |
| | Greens–European Free Alliance | | ERC | 1 | 4 |
| | Greens–European Free Alliance | | PAR | 1 | 4 |
| | Greens–European Free Alliance | | BNV | 1 | 4 |
| | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | | CDC | 1 | 3 |
| | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | | EAJ/PNV | 1 | 3 |
| | European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party | | UV | 1 | 3 |
| | Non-Inscrits | | INDEP | 1 | 1 |

## 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) | | Jaime Mayor Oreja | Conservatism Christian democracy | 39.74% | 27 | |
| | PSOE | List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) The Greens (LV) | | Josep Borrell | Social democracy | 35.33% | 24 | |
| | Galeusca | List Convergence and Union (CiU) Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) Valencian Nationalist Bloc (BNV) PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN) | | Ignasi Guardans | Peripheral nationalism | 8.02% | 4 | [7] [8] |
| | IU–ICV–EUiA | List United Left (IU) Initiative for Catalonia Greens–United and Alternative Left (ICV–EUiA) Republican Left (IR) Independent Socialists of Extremadura (SIEx) Bloc for Asturias (BA) The Greens of the Balearic Islands (EVIB) | | Willy Meyer | Socialism Communism | 6.51% | 4 | [9] [10] |
| | CE | List Andalusian Party (PA) Canarian Coalition (CC) Valencian Union (UV) Aragonese Party (PAR) Majorcan Union (UM) Convergence of Democrats of Navarre (CDN) United Extremadura (EU) Asturianist Party (PAS) | | Alejandro Rojas-Marcos | Regionalism | 3.44% | 2 | |
| | EdP | List Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) Basque Solidarity (EA) Aragonese Union (CHA) Socialist Party of Andalusia (PSA) Left Assembly–Initiative for Andalusia (A–IZ) Andecha Astur (AA) Cantabrian Nationalist Council (CNC) Citizen Initiative of La Rioja (ICLR) | | Bernat Joan | Peripheral nationalism | 1.11% | 2 | |
The abertzale left tried to run under the umbrella of the Herritarren Zerrenda list (Basque for "Citizens' List"). However, the Spanish Supreme Court annulled HZ lists and banned them from running on 22 May 2004, as it considered that the candidacy's promoters and half of its candidates had links with the outlawed Batasuna and with the ETA environment.

## Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results 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.

### Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font.

#### Color key

Exit poll
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | | | GEC | | CE | EP | Lead |
| 2004 EP election | 13 Jun 2004 | — | 45.1 | 41.2 24 | 43.5 25 | 5.1 2 | 4.1 2 | 1.3 0 | 2.5 1 | 2.3 |
| Sigma Dos/Antena 3 | 13 Jun 2004 | ? | ? | 39.5– 41.5 22/24 | 42.0– 44.0 23/25 | 6.0 3 | 5.0 2/3 | 1.6 0/1 | 2.4 1 | 2.5 |
| Ipsos–Eco/RTVE | 13 Jun 2004 | ? | ? | 39.9 21/24 | 43.4 23/26 | 5.5 2/3 | 4.4 1/2 | 1.7 0/1 | 2.6 1/2 | 3.5 |
| Celeste-Tel/La Razón | 6 Jun 2004 | 1,202 | ? | 37.2 21/22 | 46.1 26/27 | 5.2 2/3 | 4.6 2 | 1.3 0 | 3.0 1 | 8.9 |
| Noxa/La Vanguardia | 31 May–3 Jun 2004 | 1,200 | ? | 37.4 22 | 46.1 27 | 4.9 2 | 4.8 2 | 1.5 0 | 2.4 1 | 8.7 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 1–2 Jun 2004 | 1,000 | ? | 37.9 21/23 | 42.6 24/26 | 5.2 2/3 | 5.2 2/3 | 1.7 0/1 | 3.1 1 | 4.7 |
| TNS Demoscopia/ABC | 31 May–2 Jun 2004 | 2,005 | 55–60 | 38.4 22 | 46.7 27 | 4.6 2 | 3.7 2 | 1.1 0 | 2.2 1 | 8.3 |
| CIS | 19–26 May 2004 | 4,781 | 76.7 | 36.7 22 | 46.3 27 | 5.0 2 | 4.4 2 | 1.5 0 | 3.1 1 | 9.6 |
| Opina/El País | 24 May 2004 | 1,000 | ? | 37.0 | 43.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 6.0 |
| Opina/Cadena SER | 13 May 2004 | 1,000 | ? | 37.0 | 45.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 8.0 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 26 Apr 2004 | ? | ? | 39.2 | 45.1 | 2.1 | 3.6 | – | – | 5.9 |
| Vox Pública/El Periódico | 13–15 Apr 2004 | 1,501 | ? | 36.5 21/22 | 42.2 25 | 5.7 3 | 5.8 3 | ? 0/1 | 2.3 1 | 5.7 |
| Burson-Marsteller | 13 Apr 2004 | ? | ? | 38.6 23 | 35.5 22 | – | – | – | – | 3.1 |
| Opina/El País | 30 Mar 2004 | 1,000 | ? | 38.8 | 45.9 | 4.2 | 5.3 | – | – | 7.1 |
| Celeste-Tel | 14 Feb 2001 | 1,156 | ? | 38.4 27 | 37.9 27 | 4.5 3 | 4.1 2 | 3.3 2 | – | 0.5 |
| 1999 EP election | 13 Jun 1999 | — | 63.0 | 39.7 27 | 35.3 24 | 8.0 4 | 6.5 4 | 3.4 2 | 1.1 2 | 4.4 |

### Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | GEC | | CE | EP | ? | N | Lead |
| 2004 EP election | 13 Jun 2004 | — | 18.8 | 19.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 1.1 | — | 54.1 | 0.9 |
| TNS Demoscopia/ABC | 31 May–2 Jun 2004 | 2,005 | 22.0 | 27.5 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 39.1 | 2.6 | 5.5 |
| CIS | 19–26 May 2004 | 4,781 | 20.7 | 39.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 22.8 | 8.2 | 19.1 |
| Vox Pública/El Periódico | 13–15 Apr 2004 | 1,501 | 22.3 | 28.2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5.9 |
| 1999 EP election | 13 Jun 1999 | — | 25.4 | 22.5 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 2.1 | 0.6 | — | 35.7 | 2.9 |

### Victory preferences

The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a European Parliament election taking place.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | GEC | | CE | EP | Other/ None | ? | Lead |
| Noxa/La Vanguardia | 31 May–3 Jun 2004 | 1,200 | 31.0 | 50.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | – | 2.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 19.0 |
| CIS | 19–26 May 2004 | 4,781 | 24.4 | 49.1 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 15.5 | 24.7 |
| Opina/El País | 24 May 2004 | 1,000 | 27.8 | 47.3 | – | – | – | – | 2.7 | 22.2 | 19.5 |
| Opina/Cadena SER | 13 May 2004 | 1,000 | 28.5 | 47.8 | – | – | – | – | 3.2 | 20.5 | 19.3 |

### Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a European Parliament election taking place.
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None | ? | Lead |
| Noxa/La Vanguardia | 31 May–3 Jun 2004 | 1,200 | 22.0 | 59.0 | 1.0 | 18.0 | 37.0 |
| CIS | 19–26 May 2004 | 4,781 | 12.3 | 57.2 | 0.8 | 29.7 | 44.9 |
| Opina/El País | 24 May 2004 | 1,000 | 16.0 | 48.3 | 0.3 | 35.4 | 32.3 |
| Opina/Cadena SER | 13 May 2004 | 1,000 | 18.0 | 49.2 | 1.9 | 30.9 | 31.2 |

## Results
### Overall

← Summary of the 13 June 2004 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 | +/− |
| | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | 6,741,112 | 43.46 | +8.13 | 25 | +1 |
| | People's Party (PP) | 6,393,192 | 41.21 | +1.47 | 24 | –3 |
| | Galeusca–Peoples of Europe (Galeusca)$^1$ | 798,816 | 5.15 | –2.87 | 2 | –2 |
| | United Left–Initiative for Catalonia Greens–EUiA (IU–ICV–EUiA)$^2$ | 643,136 | 4.15 | –2.36 | 2 | –2 |
| | Europe of the Peoples (EdP)$^3$ | 380,709 | 2.45 | +1.34 | 1 | –1 |
| | European Coalition (CE)$^4$ | 197,231 | 1.27 | –2.17 | 0 | –2 |
| | The Greens–European Green Group (LV–GVE)$^5$ | 68,536 | 0.44 | –0.22 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Cannabis Party for Legalisation and Normalisation (PCLyN) | 54,460 | 0.35 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Aralar (Aralar) | 19,993 | 0.13 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Socialist Action Party (PASOC) | 13,810 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | 11,820 | 0.08 | –0.10 | 0 | ±0 |
| | For a Fairer World (PUM+J) | 9,202 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) | 8,180 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party (POSI)$^6$ | 7,976 | 0.05 | +0.02 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Family and Life Party (PFyV) | 7,958 | 0.05 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | New Green Left (NIV) | 6,876 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | National Democracy (DN) | 6,314 | 0.04 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 |
| | The Phalanx (FE) | 5,935 | 0.04 | –0.01 | 0 | ±0 |
| | The Unemployed (Los Parados) | 5,314 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party (TC–PNC) | 5,267 | 0.03 | –0.03 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) | 4,484 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain–Internationalist Struggle (PCPE–LI) | 4,281 | 0.03 | –0.09 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Humanist Party (PH) | 3,923 | 0.03 | –0.03 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Spanish Democratic Party (PADE) | 3,454 | 0.02 | –0.06 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Regionalist Party of the Leonese Country (PREPAL) | 3,308 | 0.02 | –0.01 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Catalan State (EC) | 2,594 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | We–People's Unity (Nós–UP) | 2,516 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Authentic Phalanx (FA) | 2,008 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Liberal Coalition (CL) | 1,719 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Carlist Party (PC) | 1,600 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Liberal Centrist Union (UCL) | 1,544 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Basque Citizens (EH) | n/a | n/a | –1.45 | 0 | –1 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 95,014 | 0.61 | –1.08 | | |
| Total | Total | 15,512,282 | | | 54 | –10 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 15,512,282 | 99.02 | –0.19 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 154,209 | 0.98 | +0.19 | | |
| Votes cast / turnout | Votes cast / turnout | 15,666,491 | 45.14 | –17.91 | | |
| Abstentions | Abstentions | 19,039,553 | 54.86 | +17.91 | | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 34,706,044 | | | | |
| Sources |||||||
| Footnotes: $^1$ Galeusca–Peoples of Europe results are compared to the combined totals of Convergence and Union, Nationalist Coalition–Europe of the Peoples in the Basque Country and Navarre and Galician Nationalist Bloc in the 1999 election.$^2$ United Left–Initiative for Catalonia Greens–EUiA results are compared to the combined totals of United Left–United and Alternative Left and The Greens–Left of the Peoples in Catalonia in the 1999 election.$^3$ Europe of the Peoples results are compared to the combined totals of Nationalist Coalition–Europe of the Peoples—not including results in the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country and Navarre—, The Greens–Left of the Peoples in Aragon and Andecha Astur in the 1999 election.$^4$ European Coalition (2004) results are compared to the combined totals of European Coalition (1999), Nationalist Coalition–Europe of the Peoples in the Balearic Islands, United Extremadura and Asturianist Party in the 1999 election.$^5$ The Greens–European Green Group results are compared to The Greens–Green Group totals in the 1999 election.$^6$ Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party results are compared to Coalition for the Repeal of the Maastricht Treaty totals in the 1999 election. |||||||
Popular vote
PSOE
43.46%
PP
41.21%
Galeusca
5.15%
IU–ICV–EUiA
4.15%
EdP
2.45%
CE
1.27%
Others
1.70%
Blank ballots
0.61% :
Seats
PSOE
46.30%
PP
44.44%
Galeusca
3.70%
IU–ICV–EUiA
3.70%
EdP
1.85% :

### Maps

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

### Distribution by European group

Summary of political group distribution in the 6th European Parliament (2004–2009) :
| Groups | Groups | Parties | Seats | Total | % |
| | Party of European Socialists (PES) | Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) | 24 | 24 | 44.44 |
| | European People's Party–European Democrats (EPP–ED) | People's Party (PP) Navarrese People's Union (UPN) | 23 1 | 24 | 44.44 |
| | Greens–European Free Alliance (Greens/EFA) | Confederation of the Greens (LV) Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) | 1 1 1 | 3 | 5.56 |
| | Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) | Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) | 1 1 | 2 | 3.70 |
| | European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) | United Left (IU) | 1 | 1 | 1.85 |
| Total | Total | Total | 54 | 54 | 100.00 |

### Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators:
Elected legislators :
| # | Name | List |
| 1 | Josep Borrell Fontelles | PSOE |
| 2 | Jaime María Mayor Oreja | PP |
| 3 | Rosa María Díez González | PSOE |
| 4 | Luisa Fernanda Rudi Úbeda | PP |
| 5 | Enrique Barón Crespo | PSOE |
| 6 | José Gerardo Galeote Quecedo | PP |
| 7 | Raimon Obiols i Germá | PSOE |
| 8 | Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca | PP |
| 9 | María Elena Valenciano Martínez-Orozco | PSOE |
| 10 | Ana Mato Adrover | PP |
| 11 | Luis Yáñez-Barnuevo García | PSOE |
| 12 | Cristóbal Ricardo Montoro Romero | PP |
| 13 | Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop | PSOE |
| 14 | José Manuel García-Margallo Marfil | PP |
| 15 | Carlos Carnero González | PSOE |
| 16 | María del Carmen Fraga Estévez | PP |
| 17 | Ignasi Guardans Cambó | Galeusca |
| 18 | Manuel Medina Ortega | PSOE |
| 19 | José Javier Pomes Ruiz | PP |
| 20 | Inés Ayala Sender | PSOE |
| 21 | Willy Meyer Pleite | IU–ICV–EUiA |
| 22 | Pilar del Castillo Vera | PP |
| 23 | Emilio Menéndez del Valle | PSOE |
| 24 | Luis de Grandes Pascual | PP |
| 25 | Antolín Sánchez Presedo | PSOE |
| 26 | Luis Herrero-Tejedor Algar | PP |
| 27 | Iratxe García Pérez | PSOE |
| 28 | Agustín Díaz de Mera García Consuegra | PP |
| 29 | Joan Calabuig Rull | PSOE |
| 30 | Fernando Manuel Fernández Martín | PP |
| 31 | Francisca Pleguezuelos Aguilar | PSOE |
| 32 | Carlos José Iturgaiz Angulo | PP |
| 33 | Alejandro Cercas Alonso | PSOE |
| 34 | Antonio López-Istúriz White | PP |
| 35 | Josu Ortuondo Larrea | Galeusca |
| 36 | Antonio Masip Hidalgo | PSOE |
| 37 | Bernat Joan i Marí | EdP |
| 38 | Francisco José Millán Mon | PP |
| 39 | María Badía i Cutxet | PSOE |
| 40 | Íñigo Méndez de Vigo Montojo | PP |
| 41 | Miguel Ángel Martínez Martínez | PSOE |
| 42 | David Hammerstein Mintz | PSOE |
| 43 | María del Pilar Ayuso González | PP |
| 44 | Raül Romeva Rueda | IU–ICV–EUiA |
| 45 | Rosa Miguélez Ramos | PSOE |
| 46 | José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez-Neyra | PP |
| 47 | Javier Moreno Sánchez | PSOE |
| 48 | Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines Corral | PP |
| 49 | Teresa Riera Madurell | PSOE |
| 50 | Salvador Garriga Polledo | PP |
| 51 | María Isabel Salinas García | PSOE |
| 52 | Daniel Luis Varela Suanzes-Carpegna | PP |
| 53 | María Sornosa Martínez | PSOE |
| 54 | María Esther Herranz García | PP |