# 1999 Catalan regional election

The 1999 Catalan regional election was held on Sunday, 17 October 1999, to elect the 6th Parliament of the autonomous community of Catalonia. All 135 seats in the Parliament were up for election.
The election saw the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) under former Mayor of Barcelona Pasqual Maragall achieve a razor-thin victory in the popular vote, the first time since 1980 that the Convergence and Union (CiU) alliance of incumbent president Jordi Pujol did not come out in top of voters' preferences. However, as a result of the electoral system, CiU was able to retain first place in terms of seats, and together with the conservative People's Party (PP), secure a small majority of 68 seats in the Parliament of Catalonia, compared to the 67 garnered by the combined total of all three left-from-centre parties: the PSC, Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and Initiative for Catalonia–Greens (IC–V). The latter had recently split from its national referent, United Left (IU), which ahead of the election established a new regional branch, United and Alternative Left (EUiA), which failed to secure any parliamentary representation.

## Overview
### Electoral system

The Parliament of Catalonia was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Catalonia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Catalan Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president. Transitory Provision Fourth of the Statute established a specific electoral procedure for elections to the Parliament of Catalonia, of application for as long as a regional electoral law was not approved, to be supplemented by the provisions within the national electoral law. Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in Catalonia and in full enjoyment of their political rights.
The 135 members of the Parliament of Catalonia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, with each being allocated a fixed number of seats:
| Seats | Constituencies |
| 85 | Barcelona |
| 18 | Tarragona |
| 17 | Girona |
| 15 | Lleida |
In smaller constituencies, the use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.

### Election date

The term of the Parliament of Catalonia expired four years after the date of its previous election, unless it was dissolved earlier. The regional president was required to call an election fifteen days prior to the date of expiry of parliament, with election day taking place within sixty days after the call. The previous election was held on 19 November 1995, which meant that the legislature's term would have expired on 19 November 1999. The election was required to be called no later than 4 November 1999, with it taking place on the sixtieth day from the call, setting the latest possible election date for the Parliament on Monday, 3 January 2000.
The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament of Catalonia and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since a previous one under this procedure. In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called.

## 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.
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 | Gov. | Ref. |
| Candidacy | Candidacy | Parties and alliances | Leading candidate | Leading candidate | Ideology | Votes (%) | Seats | Gov. | Ref. |
| | CiU | List Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC) | | Jordi Pujol | Catalan nationalism Centrism | 40.95% | 60 | Y | |
| | PSC–CpC | List Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC–PSOE) Citizens for Change (CpC) Initiative for Catalonia–Greens (IC–V) | | Pasqual Maragall | Social democracy | 24.89% | 34 | N | |
| | PP | List People's Party (PP) | | Alberto Fernández Díaz | Conservatism Christian democracy | 13.08% | 17 | N | |
| | ERC | List Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) | | Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira | Catalan independence Left-wing nationalism Social democracy | 9.49% | 13 | N | |
| | IC–V | List Initiative for Catalonia–Greens (IC–V) | | Rafael Ribó | Regionalism Eco-socialism Green politics | 9.71% | 11 | N | |
| | EUiA | List United and Alternative Left (EUiA) – Living Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC viu) – Party of the Communists of Catalonia (PCC) | | Antoni Lucchetti | Socialism Communism | 9.71% | 11 | N | |
| | EV–CEC | List The Greens–Ecologist Confederation of Catalonia (EV–CEC) | | Elisenda Fores | Ecologism | 9.71% | 11 | N | |

## 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; 68 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Catalonia.

#### Color key

Exit poll
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Turnout | | | | | | PI | | Lead |
| 1999 regional election | 17 Oct 1999 | — | 59.2 | 37.7 56 | 37.9 52 | 9.5 12 | 2.5 3 | 8.7 12 | – | 1.4 0 | 0.2 |
| Eco Consulting/CCRTV | 17 Oct 1999 | ? | ? | 37.4 55/57 | 36.7 50/52 | 9.6 12/14 | 3.2 3/4 | 8.5 11/13 | – | – | 0.7 |
| Opitel/Tele 5 | 17 Oct 1999 | ? | ? | 40.0 57/58 | 37.5 50/52 | 9.0 11/12 | 4.5 4 | 7.0 10/12 | – | – | 2.5 |
| Sigma Dos/Antena 3 | 17 Oct 1999 | ? | ? | 37.7 55/59 | 36.5 49/51 | 10.0 13 | 3.2 3 | 9.1 11/13 | – | 1.7 0 | 1.2 |
| DYM/El Periódico | 10 Oct 1999 | 3,643 | ? | 40.5 57/63 | 30.3 40/46 | 11.3 14/15 | 5.6 5/6 | 9.7 12/15 | – | 2.0 0 | 10.2 |
| Ipsos–Eco/ABC | 2–7 Oct 1999 | 2,400 | ? | 37.2 53/55 | 32.9 45/47 | 12.1 15/16 | 6.7 7/8 | 8.9 12/13 | – | – | 4.3 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 5–6 Oct 1999 | 2,000 | ? | 40.4 58/62 | 35.7 48/50 | 10.2 12/14 | 2.6 3 | 7.7 10 | – | 1.5 0 | 4.7 |
| Ipsos–Eco/ABC | 5–6 Oct 1999 | 800 | ? | 36.5 52/55 | 32.7 45/47 | 12.4 15/16 | 7.2 8 | 8.9 12/13 | – | – | 3.8 |
| Demoscopia/El País | 4–6 Oct 1999 | 2,000 | 65 | 40.1 58/60 | 36.6 48/50 | 10.7 13/14 | 3.2 3 | 7.7 10 | – | 1.5 0 | 3.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 4–6 Oct 1999 | 2,000 | ? | 39.0 56/58 | 36.0 51/52 | 10.5 13 | 4.0 4 | 7.5 9/10 | – | 1.5 0 | 3.0 |
| Ipsos–Eco/ABC | 3–4 Oct 1999 | 800 | ? | 36.2 52/54 | 33.1 45/47 | 11.8 14/15 | 7.4 8 | 9.6 13/14 | – | – | 3.1 |
| CIS | 16 Sep–3 Oct 1999 | 3,590 | 65.6 | 38.6 57/59 | 31.7 45/47 | 11.7 14/15 | 4.5 4/5 | 9.7 11/13 | – | – | 6.9 |
| Ipsos–Eco/ABC | 28 Sep–2 Oct 1999 | 1,400 | ? | 36.8 53/55 | 34.6 47/48 | 11.9 14/15 | 6.1 7 | 8.3 12 | – | – | 2.2 |
| Metra Seis/Colpisa | 27 Sep–1 Oct 1999 | 1,000 | 70 | 36.2 53/56 | 34.1 48/50 | 11.4 14/16 | 6.0 6/7 | 8.3 10/12 | – | – | 2.1 |
| Ipsos–Eco/ABC | 28–29 Sep 1999 | 1,000 | ? | 36.4 52/54 | 35.1 46/48 | 12.1 14/15 | 6.2 7 | 7.9 12 | – | – | 1.3 |
| DYM/El Periódico | 15–21 Sep 1999 | 3,666 | ? | 42.8 60/65 | 34.3 43/50 | 10.7 11/15 | w. PSC | 8.7 11/14 | – | 2.2 0 | 8.5 |
| Inner Line/PSC | 10–21 Sep 1999 | 1,300 | ? | 39.3 56 | 41.2 58 | 9.1 10 | ? 3 | 5.9 8 | – | – | 1.9 |
| Line Staff/Avui | 19 Sep 1999 | 1,900 | ? | 42.6 61/62 | 34.1 49 | 9.0 12 | 2.0 0 | 10.2 12/13 | – | 0.4 0 | 8.5 |
| Demoscopia/El País | 13–15 Sep 1999 | 800 | 65 | 38.8 55/58 | 37.6 50/52 | 10.6 13/14 | 3.7 4 | 7.0 10/11 | – | – | 1.2 |
| La Vanguardia | 13 Sep 1999 | ? | ? | 38.6 55/58 | 34.6 47/51 | 11.1 14 | 4.6 4 | 7.8 9/12 | – | – | 4.0 |
| La Vanguardia | 13 Sep 1999 | ? | ? | 35.3 52/55 | 38.7 52/57 | 10.9 13/14 | 4.0 3/4 | 7.7 9/12 | – | – | 3.4 |
| Sigma Dos/El Mundo | 7–9 Sep 1999 | 2,000 | ? | 40.4 58/63 | 33.9 46/48 | 10.0 13 | 3.6 4 | 7.5 9/12 | – | 2.2 0 | 6.5 |
| Line Staff/Avui | 5 Sep 1999 | 1,900 | ? | ? 57/58 | ? 47 | ? 13/14 | ? 5 | ? 12 | – | – | ? |
| CiU | 2 Sep 1999 | ? | ? | ? 57 | ? 45/47 | ? 14/15 | ? 5/6 | ? 14/15 | – | – | ? |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 30–31 Aug 1999 | 2,000 | ? | 38.0 55/56 | 36.0 49/51 | 10.5 13/14 | 5.0 4/6 | 7.5 10/11 | – | 1.0 0 | 2.0 |
| UDC | 28 Jul 1999 | ? | ? | ? 55 | ? 45 | ? 14/15 | ? 7 | ? 14/15 | ? 0 | ? 0 | ? |
| DYM/El Periódico | 18 Jul 1999 | ? | ? | 41.5 | 28.3 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 10.4 | – | – | 13.2 |
| 1999 EP election | 13 Jun 1999 | — | 54.8 | 29.3 (47) | 34.6 (50) | 16.9 (25) | 5.4 (5) | 6.1 (8) | 0.4 (0) | 2.0 (0) | 5.3 |
| 1999 local elections | 13 Jun 1999 | — | 55.9 | 26.7 | 37.6 | 10.9 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 10.9 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 29 Apr–1 May 1999 | 600 | ? | 39.0 58 | 31.0 44 | 15.0 19 | 6.0 6 | 7.0 8 | 0.0 0 | 0.5 0 | 8.0 |
| Central de Campo/PSC | 22–24 Apr 1999 | 800 | ? | 37.5– 38.5 | 36.0– 37.0 | 10.0– 11.0 | 5.0– 6.0 | 8.0– 9.0 | 0.5– 1.5 | 1.5– 2.5 | 1.5 |
| DYM/El Periódico | 23 Jan 1999 | ? | ? | 38.6 | 28.0 | 11.1 | 7.4 | 9.0 | 0.6 | 2.9 | 10.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 11–12 Dec 1998 | 600 | ? | 38.0 57 | 31.0 44 | 16.0 21 | 6.0 6 | 6.0 7 | 0.5 0 | 1.0 0 | 7.0 |
| ERC | 5 Nov 1998 | ? | ? | ? 53/55 | ? 46/48 | ? 15/17 | ? 2/4 | ? 12/14 | – | – | ? |
| PSOE | 3 Nov 1998 | 1,400 | ? | 33.7 | 35.6 | 13.7 | 4.2 | 8.1 | – | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Line Staff/CDC | 2 Nov 1998 | 2,000 | ? | ? 59/61 | ? 44/45 | ? 15/16 | ? 6 | ? 8/9 | – | – | ? |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 Jun 1998 | 600 | ? | 39.5 61 | 28.0 41 | 14.0 19 | 6.5 6 | 7.0 8 | 0.5 0 | 1.0 0 | 11.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 6 Mar 1998 | 600 | ? | 39.5 61 | 27.0 40 | 13.5 18 | 7.0 8 | 6.5 8 | 0.5 0 | 1.0 0 | 12.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 3–4 Nov 1997 | 900 | ? | 42.5 65 | 23.0 33 | 14.0 19 | 7.5 8 | 7.5 10 | 1.0 0 | – | 19.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 18–19 Jun 1997 | 600 | ? | 41.0 | 23.0 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 7.5 | – | – | 18.0 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 7–8 Mar 1997 | 600 | ? | 39.5 | 25.5 | 15.0 | 9.0 | 7.0 | – | – | 14.0 |
| 1996 general election | 3 Mar 1996 | — | 76.5 | 29.6 (44) | 39.4 (54) | 18.0 (25) | 7.6 (8) | 4.2 (4) | – | – | 9.8 |
| 1995 regional election | 19 Nov 1995 | — | 63.6 | 40.9 60 | 24.9 34 | 13.1 17 | 9.7 11 | 9.5 13 | – | – | 16.0 |

## Results
### Overall

← Summary of the 17 October 1999 Parliament of Catalonia election results → :
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote | Seats | Seats |
| Parties and alliances | Parties and alliances | Votes | % | ±pp | Total | +/− |
| | Socialists' Party of Catalonia–Citizens for Change (PSC–CpC) | 1,183,299 | 37.85 | +11.75 | 52 | +17 |
| | Socialists' Party of Catalonia–Citizens for Change (PSC–CpC)$^1$ | 948,202 | 30.33 | +11.08 | 36 | +14 |
| | Socialists' Party–Citizens for Change–Initiative–Greens (PSC–CpC–IC–V)$^2$ | 235,097 | 7.52 | +0.67 | 16 | +3 |
| | Convergence and Union (CiU) | 1,178,420 | 37.70 | –3.25 | 56 | –4 |
| | People's Party (PP) | 297,265 | 9.51 | –3.57 | 12 | –5 |
| | Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) | 271,173 | 8.67 | –0.82 | 12 | –1 |
| | Initiative for Catalonia–Greens (IC–V)$^2$ $^3$ | 78,441 | 2.51 | n/a | 3 | –5 |
| | United and Alternative Left (EUiA)$^3$ | 44,454 | 1.42 | n/a | 0 | –1 |
| | The Greens–Ecologist Confederation of Catalonia (EV–CEC)$^3$ | 22,797 | 0.73 | n/a | 0 | –1 |
| | The Greens–Green Alternative (EV–AV) | 8,254 | 0.26 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party (POSI) | 2,784 | 0.09 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Catalan State (EC) | 1,774 | 0.06 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Humanist Party of Catalonia (PHC) | 1,327 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) | 1,281 | 0.04 | +0.03 | 0 | ±0 |
| | Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) | 1,161 | 0.04 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Natural Law Party (PLN) | 1,029 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | UNIC–Federation of Independents of Catalonia (UNIC–FIC) | 881 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Bounced Public Workers (TPR) | 833 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Espinalist Party (PE) | 799 | 0.03 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Internationalist Struggle (LI (LIT–CI)) | 485 | 0.02 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Federal Democratic Union (UFD) | 447 | 0.01 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Catalans in the World (CAM) | 110 | 0.00 | New | 0 | ±0 |
| | Democratic Party of the People (PDEP) | 108 | 0.00 | ±0.00 | 0 | ±0 |
| Blank ballots | Blank ballots | 28,968 | 0.93 | –0.04 | | |
| Total | Total | 3,126,090 | | | 135 | ±0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 3,126,090 | 99.75 | +0.03 | | |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 7,836 | 0.25 | –0.03 | | |
| Votes cast / turnout | Votes cast / turnout | 3,133,926 | 59.20 | –4.44 | | |
| Abstentions | Abstentions | 2,159,731 | 40.80 | +4.44 | | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | 5,293,657 | | | | |
| Sources |||||||
| Footnotes: $^1$ Only includes results in Barcelona.$^2$ Socialists' Party–CpC–IC–Greens results are compared to the combined totals of the Socialists' Party of Catalonia and Initiative for Catalonia–The Greens in Girona, Lleida and Tarragona in the 1995 election.$^3$ Within the Initiative for Catalonia–The Greens alliance in the 1995 election. |||||||
Popular vote
PSC–CpC
37.85%
CiU
37.70%
PP
9.51%
ERC
8.67%
IC–V
2.51%
EUiA
1.42%
Others
1.41%
Blank ballots
0.93% :
Seats
CiU
41.48%
PSC–CpC
38.52%
PP
8.89%
ERC
8.89%
IC–V
2.22% :

### Distribution by constituency

| Constituency | PSC–CpC | PSC–CpC | CiU | CiU | PP | PP | ERC | ERC | IC–V | IC–V |
| Constituency | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S | % | S |
| Barcelona | 40.0 | 36 | 35.1 | 31 | 9.9 | 8 | 7.7 | 7 | 3.3 | 3 |
| Girona | 29.2 | 5 | 48.6 | 9 | 6.0 | 1 | 12.8 | 2 | | |
| Lleida | 29.5 | 5 | 48.1 | 8 | 8.0 | 1 | 11.6 | 1 | | |
| Tarragona | 34.1 | 6 | 41.3 | 8 | 10.6 | 2 | 10.5 | 2 | | |
| Total | 37.9 | 52 | 37.7 | 56 | 9.5 | 12 | 8.7 | 12 | 2.5 | 3 |
| Sources |||||||||||

## Aftermath
### Government formation

Investiture Jordi Pujol (CDC) :
| Ballot → | Ballot → | 16 November 1999 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 68 out of 135 Y |
| | Yes • CiU (56) • PP (12) | 68 / 135 |
| | No • PSC–CpC (50) • IC–V (5) | 55 / 135 |
| | Abstentions • ERC (12) | 12 / 135 |
| | Absentees | 0 / 135 |
| Sources |||

### 2001 motion of no confidence

Motion of no confidence Pasqual Maragall (PSC) :
| Ballot → | Ballot → | 17 October 2001 |
| Required majority → | Required majority → | 68 out of 135 N |
| | Yes • PSC–CpC (50) • IC–V (5) | 55 / 135 |
| | No • CiU (56) • PP (12) | 68 / 135 |
| | Abstentions • ERC (12) | 12 / 135 |
| | Absentees | 0 / 135 |
| Sources |||