1993 Spanish general election

Background

The 175-seat victory of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) in the 1989 general election, exactly half of Congress, allowed it to govern with a de facto absolute majority or with minor support from other parties, depending on Herri Batasuna's policy of abstentionism. Due to election irregularities reported in a number of constituencies, only 332 deputies were sworn in by Felipe González's investiture as prime minister, prompting him to submit a motion of confidence on his government in April 1990, which he won.

Internationally, the country would participate in the multinational military coalition formed in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait leading to the Gulf War (which saw an increase in conscientious objectors to compulsory military service in Spain), and in the signing of the Maastricht Treaty, which established the European Union (EU) and provided a roadmap towards a common currency. The establishment of a "European citizenship" required a constitutional reform—the first since the approval of the 1978 Spanish Constitution—to introduce active and passive suffrage in local elections for nationals of EU member states. Internally, the 1990 liberalization of the television market saw the first private channels in Spain—Antena 3, Telecinco and Canal+—challenging RTVE's monopoly until then. The approval in 1992 of a new Law on Citizen Security Protection—aimed at repealing the public order legislation in force since the Franco's dictatorship and combating drug-related crimes—came under criticism due to its empowerment to law enforcement to enter a home without the need for a warrant or judicial authorization. These provisions (which earned the bill the nickname "kick-in-the-door law") would be eventually overturned by the Constitutional Court in November 1993, prompting the resignation of the law's promoter, interior minister José Luis Corcuera.

This period also saw Spain hosting events such as the Madrid Conference of 1991, the Seville Expo '92 and the Barcelona '92 Summer Olympics—which allowed the fledgeling democracy to present itself to the international community as a modern country, different from what it had been under the Francoist regime—as well as the completion of major infrastructure projects such as the Madrid–Seville high-speed rail line and the establishment of the first AVE service. However, the Spanish economy was hit hard by the effects of the ongoing international recession: the large investments of these years left public administrations and companies highly indebted, while the 1990 oil price shock affected inflation (whose rise forced the government to devalue the peseta three times in nine months; the last of which, on 13 May 1993, would become known as "Black Thursday"), which was followed by an increase of the unemployment rate.

The Basque separatist group ETA intensified its attacks in the early 1990s in the run up to the Barcelona Olympics in order to try to gain worldwide attention; this saw the Sabadell bombing in 1990, the Vic and Mutxamel bombings in 1991, and the 1992 Madrid bombing, as well as a number of attacks in the Netherlands. In March 1992, the group leaders at the time—José Luis Álvarez Santacristina "Txelis", José Javier Zabaleta Elosegi "Baldo", Francisco Múgica Garmendia "Pakito" y José Arregi Erostarbe "Fitti"—were detained in the French commune of Bidart thanks to cooperation between Spanish and French forces.

During these years, a string of political scandals began to undermine the government's public image. Alfonso Guerra resigned as deputy prime minister in January 1991, following a scandal involving his brother Juan—amid accusations of nepotism and tax evasion—which had been ongoing for over a year. In May, it was revealed that a number of PSOE-linked companies had been paid hundreds of millions for consultancy works that were never carried out (funds which were allegedly used to illegally fund the party's campaigns in 1989) in what would come to be known as the "Filesa case". Several months later, health minister Julián García Valverde was forced to abandon politics after revelations that RENFE—a state-owned company which he had presided between 1985 and 1991—had purchased lands at an inflated price that suggested a possible embezzlement.

Other scandals saw the "Ibercorp case" that broke out in February 1992, in which it was unveiled that governor of the Bank of Spain Mariano Rubio owned stock shares in the Ibercorp investment bank, that he had concealed these from the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) and that he had amassed a fortune by carrying out financial operations based on privileged information; while Rubio denied all accusations, he was replaced from his post in July. In November that year, a scheme to collect illegal kickbacks from the awarding of contracts for the purchase of newsprint used by the Official State Gazette (BOE) printing presses was uncovered. The scandal would bring about the arrest one year later of former BOE director, Carmen Salanueva, who was also accused of fraud by buying paintings at a low price invoking the name of Queen Sofía and Carmen Romero, spouse of then prime minister Felipe González.

The growing unpopularity of the government sewed divisions within the ruling PSOE: starting in its 1990 congress, supporters of deputy secretary-general Alfonso Guerra (colloquially referred to as guerristas) clashed with supporters of prime minister Felipe González (renovadores, Spanish for "renovators") over party control. Opposition to the Socialist government coalesced around the newly-amalgamated People's Party (PP)—formed in 1989 by several right-of-centre parties: the People's Alliance (AP), the Christian Democracy (DC) and the Liberal Party (PL)—and its new party leader, José María Aznar, particularly following the 1991 local and regional elections, which saw the PSOE losing important local governments such as Valencia and Seville, as well as the collapse of the Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) and the farewell of its leader, Adolfo Suárez, from active politics.

On 12 April 1993, Felipe González announced the dissolution of parliament and the calling of a snap election for 6 June, four months ahead of schedule, to solve "tensions in Spanish political life" that prevented his government from "addressing the economic crisis". The mounting revelations of scandals, internal party divisions, and increasingly hostile opposition from the PP were also said to have contributed to González's decision.

Overview

Under the 1978 Constitution, the Spanish Cortes Generales were envisaged as an imperfect bicameral system. The Congress of Deputies had greater legislative power than the Senate, having the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a prime minister and to override Senate vetoes by an absolute majority of votes. Nonetheless, the Senate possessed a limited number of functions—such as ratification of international treaties, authorization of collaboration agreements between autonomous communities, enforcement of direct rule, regulation of interterritorial compensation funds, and its role in constitutional amendment and in the appointment of members to the Constitutional Court and the General Council of the Judiciary—which were not subject to the Congress's override.

Electoral system

Voting for each chamber of the Cortes Generales was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights, provided that they were not sentenced—by a final court ruling—to deprivation of the right to vote, nor being legally incapacitated.

The Congress of Deputies was entitled to a minimum of 300 and a maximum of 400 seats, with the electoral law setting its size at 350. 348 members were elected in 50 multi-member constituencies—corresponding to the provinces of Spain, with each being allocated an initial minimum of two seats and the remaining 248 being distributed in proportion to their populations—using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional voting system, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes (which included blank ballots) being applied in each constituency. The two remaining seats were allocated to Ceuta and Melilla as single-member districts and elected using plurality voting. The use of the electoral method resulted in a higher effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:

208 seats in the Senate were elected using an open list partial block voting system: in constituencies electing four seats, electors could vote for up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, for up to two candidates; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Each of the 47 peninsular provinces was allocated four seats, whereas for insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, districts were the islands themselves, with the larger (Mallorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife) being allocated three seats each, and the smaller (Menorca, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma) one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator per each million inhabitants.

The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacated seats; instead, any vacancies that occurred after the proclamation of candidates and into the legislative term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when required, by the designated substitutes.

Eligibility

Spanish citizens of age and with the legal capacity to vote could run for election, provided that they were not sentenced to imprisonment by a final court ruling nor convicted, even if by a non-final ruling, to forfeiture of eligibility or to specific disqualification or suspension from public office under particular offences: rebellion and terrorism when involving crimes against life, physical integrity or freedom of the person. Other causes of ineligibility were imposed on the following officials:

• Members of the Spanish royal family and their spouses;
• The holders of a number of positions: the president and members of the Constitutional Court, the General Council of the Judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Council of State, the Court of Auditors and the Economic and Social Council; the Ombudsman; the State's Attorney General; high-ranking members—undersecretaries, secretaries-general, directors-general and chiefs of staff—of Spanish government departments, the Office of the Prime Minister, the Social Security and other government agencies; government delegates in the autonomous communities, and civil governors and sub-governors; the director-general of RTVE; the director of the Electoral Register Office; the governor and deputy governor of the Bank of Spain; the chairs of the Official Credit Institute and other official credit institutions; and members of electoral commissions and of the Nuclear Safety Council;
• Heads of diplomatic missions in foreign states or international organizations (ambassadors and plenipotentiaries);
• Judges and public prosecutors in active service;
• Personnel of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) and law enforcement corps in active service.

Other causes of ineligibility for both chambers were imposed on a number of territorial-level officers in the aforementioned categories—during their tenure of office—in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction, as well as employees of foreign states and members of regional governments. Incompatibility provisions extended to the president of the Competition Defence Court; members of RTVE's board and of the offices of the prime minister, the ministers and the secretaries of state; government delegates in port authorities, hydrographic confederations and toll highway concessionary companies; presidents and other high-ranking members of public entities, state monopolies, companies with majority public participation and public saving banks; as well as the impossibility of simultaneously holding the positions of deputy and senator or regional legislator.

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance 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.

Election date

The term of each chamber of the Cortes Generales—the Congress and the Senate—expired four years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the scheduled date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE), with election day taking place between the fifty-fourth and the sixtieth day from publication. The previous election was held on 29 October 1989, which meant that the chambers' terms would have expired on 29 October 1993. The election decree was required to be published in the BOE no later than 5 October 1993, with the election taking place up to the sixtieth day from publication, setting the latest possible date for election day on Saturday, 4 December 1993.

The prime minister had the prerogative to propose the monarch to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no state of emergency was in force and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since the previous one. Additionally, both chambers were to be dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a prime minister within a two-month period from the first ballot. Barring this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections to the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of , there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.

The Cortes Generales were officially dissolved on 13 April 1993 with the publication of the dissolution decree in the BOE, setting election day for 6 June and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 29 June.

Outgoing parliament

The tables below show the composition of the parliamentary groups in both chambers at the time of dissolution.

Parties and candidates

Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:

Campaign

Election debates

;Opinion polls

Opinion polls

Main article: Opinion polling for the 1993 Spanish general election

Results

Congress of Deputies

Senate

Maps

File:1993 Spanish general election map.svg|Election results by constituency (Congress). File:1993 Spanish election - Results.svg|Vote winner strength by constituency (Congress). File:1993 Spanish election - AC results.svg|Vote winner strength by autonomous community (Congress).

Aftermath

Government formation

Notes

References

Bibliography

References

1. De la Cuadra, Bonifacio. (11 June 1990). "La llave de la mayoría absoluta". El País.
2. (22 June 1990). "Los socialistas tendrán que buscar más apoyo de sus socios". El País.
3. Valdecantos, Camilo. (13 April 1993). "La impugnación de las elecciones marcó la legislatura desde el inicio". El País.
4. (5 December 1989). "González acepta crear una comisión parlamentaria que investigue con rigor el censo electoral". El País.
5. Galán, Javier. (30 August 2016). "Felipe González, diciembre de 1989, antesala a la cuestión de confianza". El País.
6. (6 April 1990). "La cuestión de confianza mostró la distancia del Gobierno con IU y PP". El País.
7. "Primera guerra del Golfo". [[Ministry of Defence (Spain).
8. (26 February 1991). "Una guerra dentro de la guerra". El País.
9. "España y la Unión Europea". [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Spain).
10. (28 August 2022). "La primera reforma constitucional cumple 30 años a la espera de la tercera". [[RTVE]].
11. "Primera Reforma Constitucional (1992)". [[Congress of Deputies]].
12. (29 May 2018). "Llegan las cadenas privadas". RTVE.
13. (26 September 1991). "Un magistrado del Tribunal Constitucional critica la "Ley Corcuera"". Servimedia.
14. (31 January 2019). "La 'ley Corcuera' o cómo el Gobierno permitía en 1992 que la Policía entrara en una casa sin la autorización de un juez". [[laSexta]].
15. (19 November 1993). "Corcuera comunica a González su decisión de dimitir". El País.
16. Herrera, Elena. (9 April 2021). "Treinta años de la ley Corcuera, la frustrada 'patada en la puerta' que ha resurgido en plena pandemia". elDiario.es.
17. Vacas, Constanza. (30 October 2023). "Conferencia de Madrid: Un intento de paz para el conflicto palestino-israelí". [[National Geographic]].
18. Echarri, Miquel. (28 October 2015). "1992, el año en el que España subió a primera división". El País.
19. "España democrática. Los gobiernos de Felipe González (1982-1996)". Enciclopedia Humanidades.
20. Amiguet, Teresa. (14 April 2022). "El AVE emprende el vuelo". [[La Vanguardia]].
21. "España democrática. Los gobiernos de Felipe González (1982-1996)". Enciclopedia Humanidades.
22. (14 May 1993). "'Jueves negro' para la economía española". El País.
23. (29 January 2021). "Las mayores crisis de la economía española". El País.
24. MEC, Borja. (1 May 2006). "Bidart: la caída de la cúpula de ETA". [[Expansión (Spain).
25. (23 March 1992). "Del caso de Juan Guerra a Ibercorp". El País.
26. González Ibáñez, Juan. (13 January 1991). "Guerra afirma que dimite para facilitar "un buen Gobierno"". El País.
27. Méndez, Juan. (13 January 1991). "El 'caso Juan Guerra', elemento clave de la caída". El País.
28. (6 April 1990). "El PP e IU exigen de nuevo la dimisión de Guerra". El País.
29. Rosell, Francisco. (18 October 2007). "Juan Guerra abre despacho en el patio de monipodio". [[El Mundo (Spain).
30. (30 May 1991). "El fiscal del Estado ordena investigar a dos firmas que financiaron irregularmente al PSOE". El País.
31. (1 December 2000). "Un grupo de sociedades financiaron ilícitamente campañas del PSOE en 1989". El Mundo.
32. Ramírez, L.. (1 May 2006). "Estalla el "caso Filesa"". Expansión.
33. (14 January 1992). "García Valverde dimite como ministro de Sanidad por el escándalo de Renfe". El País.
34. (14 January 1992). "Operaciones sospechosas en San Sebastián de los Reyes". El País.
35. (30 June 1992). "González nombra a Luis Ángel Rojo gobernador del Banco de España en sustitución de Mariano Rubio". El País.
36. Justicia, Francisco. (18 October 2007). "La corrupción del poder económico y sus amigos". El Mundo.
37. De la Cuadra, Bonifacio. (2 November 1992). "Una juez investiga a tres ex altos cargos del BOE por un presunto fraude de 1.010 millones". El País.
38. De la Cuadra, Bonifacio. (2 November 1992). "Una actuación contraria al "más elemental principio de economía"". El País.
39. (30 November 1993). "Detenida por orden judicial la ex directora del BOE por delitos vinculados a la compra de papel prensa". El País.
40. De la Cuadra, Bonifacio. (5 December 1993). "La inocencia de comprar dos objetos de plata en Navidad". El País.
41. Hernández, José Antonio. (16 June 1994). "La policía investiga a Salanueva por presunta apropiación de cuadros". El País.
42. (18 January 2000). "Muere de un cáncer Carmen Salanueva, ex directora general del BOE". El Mundo.
43. Redondo, Javier. (30 September 2016). "El PSOE, un partido abonado a las luchas internas". El Mundo.
44. González Ibáñez, Juan. (31 March 1990). "El PP inicia hoy un congreso diseñado para aclamar a Aznar como nuevo presidente". El País.
45. Prieto, Joaquín. (28 May 1991). "El PP gana 600.000 votos y el PSOE pierde más ciudades". El País.
46. (14 June 1991). "El PSOE pierde las alcaldías de Sevilla y Valencia tras pactar el Partido Popular con los regionalistas". El País.
47. Martín del Pozo, Concha. (27 May 1991). "Adolfo Suárez dimite tras descalabro electoral del CDS". El País.
48. (13 April 1993). "González adelanta las elecciones al 6 de junio por el clima de crispación política". El País.
49. (13 April 1993). "No se ha agotado ninguna legislatura". El País.
50. Díez, Anabel. (17 December 1992). "Dirigentes del PSOE reconocen que el 92 es un año "catastrófico" por los casos de corrupción". El País.
51. (13 April 1993). "La división en el PSOE ha estado a punto de deteriorar la autoridad de González". El País.
52. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
53. "Constitución española. Título III. De las Cortes Generales. Sinopsis artículo 66". [[Congress of Deputies]].
54. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
55. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
56. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
57. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
58. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
59. Gallagher, Michael. (30 July 2012). "Effective threshold in electoral systems". [[Trinity College Dublin]].
60. (12 April 1993). "Real Decreto 534/1993, de 12 de abril, de disolución del Congreso de los Diputados y del Senado y de convocatoria de elecciones".
61. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
62. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
63. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
64. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
65. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
66. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
67. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
68. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
69. {{harvp. LOREG. 1985
70. (18 November 1992). "El 3 de diciembre de 1993, última fecha posible para las elecciones generales". El País.
71. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
72. {{harvp. Constitution. 1978
73. "Constitución española. Título V. De las relaciones entre el Gobierno y las Cortes Generales. Sinopsis artículo 115". [[Congress of Deputies]].
74. Lozano, Carles. "Grupos Parlamentarios en el Congreso de los Diputados y el Senado".
75. Lozano, Carles. "Composición del Senado 1977-{{year}}".
76. "Grupos parlamentarios".
77. "Grupos Parlamentarios desde 1977".
78. (12 September 1992). "El PSOE proclama candidato a la presidencia a González pese a que este mantiene la incógnita". El País.
79. (1 January 1993). "Socialistas y Euskadiko Ezkerra ponen en marcha su proyecto de fusión". El País.
80. (22 February 1993). "318 afiliados de Euskadiko Ezkerra aprueban la fusión con el PSE-PSOE". El País.
81. (18 March 1991). "El PP desaparece en Navarra al fusionarse con Unión del Pueblo Navarro". El País.
82. (30 November 1992). "Aznar será proclamado candidato del PP a La Moncloa el 16 de enero". El País.
83. (20 September 1992). "Calvo Ortega, candidato". El País.
84. (13 October 2015). "Cinco debates en 11 elecciones: del 'desastre' de Felipe a la 'niña' de Rajoy". El Mundo.
85. (21 February 2008). "Los debates González - Aznar, entre las emisiones más vistas de la historia de Antena 3 y Telecinco". FormulaTV.
86. (26 May 1993). "Triunfo claro de Aznar en el primer debate". El País.
87. (26 May 1993). "Aznar superó a González en el debate". La Vanguardia.
88. (26 May 1993). "Las encuestas de "El Mundo", "La Vanguardia" y "El País" dan el triunfo a Aznar". ABC.
89. (2 June 1993). "Victoria neta de González sobre Aznar en el segundo cara a cara televisivo". El País.
90. (2 June 1993). "González ganó por 20,9 puntos a Aznar". La Vanguardia.
91. "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales". [[Ministry of the Interior (Spain).
92. Lozano, Carles. "Elecciones Generales 6 de junio de 1993".
93. (16 July 1993). "Acuerdo de 13 de julio de 1993, de la Junta Electoral Central, por el que se ordena la publicación del resumen de los resultados de las elecciones para el Congreso de los Diputados y el Senado convocadas por Real Decreto 534/1993, de 12 de abril, y celebradas el 6 de junio de 1993, según los datos que figuran en las actas de escrutinio general remitidas por cada una de las Juntas Electorales Provinciales". [[Official State Gazette]].
94. (9 August 1993). "Corrección de errores del resumen de los resultados de las Elecciones para el Congreso de los Diputados y el Senado convocadas por Real Decreto 534/1993, de 12 de abril, y celebradas el 6 de junio de 1993, según los datos que figuran en las actas de escrutinio general remitidas por cada una de las Juntas Electorales Provinciales". [[Official State Gazette]].
95. Lozano, Carles. "Elecciones al Senado 1993".
96. Lozano, Carles. "Congreso de los Diputados: Votaciones más importantes".