2003 Madrid City Council election

The 2003 Madrid City Council election, also the 2003 Madrid municipal election, was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 7th City Council of the municipality of Madrid. All 55 seats in the City Council were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

2003 Madrid City Council election

← 1999 25 May 2003 2007 →
All 55 seats in the City Council of Madrid 28 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	2,483,123 0.2%
Turnout	1,711,613 (68.9%) 8.8 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón Trinidad Jiménez Inés Sabanés Party PP PSOE IU Leader since 16 October 2002 2 June 2002 23 June 1998 Last election 28 seats, 49.5% 20 seats, 36.0% 5 seats, 8.7% Seats won 30 21 4 Seat change 2 1 1 Popular vote 874,264 625,148 123,015 Percentage 51.3% 36.7% 7.2% Swing 1.8 pp 0.7 pp 1.5 pp
Mayor before election José María Álvarez del Manzano PP Elected Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón PP

The People's Party (PP) under President of the Community of Madrid Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, who was succeeding the retiring José María Álvarez del Manzano, managed to revert the near-tie situation predicted by opinion polls between his party and the PSOE-IU bloc. Gallardón went on to win a comfortable absolute majority both in votes and seats, reverting the 1999 result in which it had seemed that party's support had begun to decline. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) under Trinidad Jiménez obtained its best result since it was ousted from power in 1989, despite it not being enough to recover the mayoralty. United Left (IU) continued on its long-term decline and lost another seat, scoring its worst result since 1987.

A remarkable event for this election was that both main parties' contenders (Ruiz-Gallardón and Jiménez) were cousins, despite belonging to opposing parties.

Electoral system

The City Council of Madrid (Spanish: Ayuntamiento de Madrid) was the top-tier administrative and governing body of the municipality of Madrid, composed of the mayor, the government council and the elected plenary assembly.^[1] Elections to the local councils in Spain were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years.^[2] Voting for the local assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the municipality of Madrid and in full enjoyment of their political rights, as well as resident non-national European citizens and those whose country of origin allowed Spanish nationals to vote in their own elections by virtue of a treaty.

Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each local council.^[1][2] Councillors were allocated to municipal councils based on the following scale:

Population	Councillors
<250	5
251–1,000	7
1,001–2,000	9
2,001–5,000	11
5,001–10,000	13
10,001–20,000	17
20,001–50,000	21
50,001–100,000	25
>100,001	+1 per each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction +1 if total is an even number

The mayor was indirectly elected by the plenary assembly. A legal clause required that mayoral candidates earned the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party in the assembly was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee would be determined by lot.^[1]

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 a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they were seeking election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. For the case of Madrid, as its population was over 1,000,001, at least 8,000 signatures were required.^[2]

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 poll. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 28 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Madrid (27 until 1 January 2003).

Color key:

  Exit poll

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout				LV	Lead
2003 municipal election	25 May 2003	—	68.9	51.3 30	36.7 21	7.2 4	1.6 0	14.6
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 1][p 2]	25 May 2003	?	?	? 27/29	? 22/23	? 4/5	–	?
Ipsos–Eco/RTVE[p 3]	25 May 2003	?	?	? 27/28	? 22/23	? 5/6	–	?
Insight/La Razón[p 4]	19 May 2003	?	?	47.2 28	39.8 22	9.1 5	–	7.4
Opina/El País[p 5][p 6]	18 May 2003	?	?	47.0 27/28	40.0 23/24	7.0 4	–	7.0
Demoscopia/PP[p 7]	17 May 2003	?	?	48.5– 50.0 28/29	38.5– 39.5 22/23	6.5– 7.5 3/4	3.0– 4.0 0	10.0– 10.5
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 8][p 9]	8–13 May 2003	500	?	47.5 27/28	39.7 22/24	8.3 4/5	2.4 0	7.8
Vox Pública/El Periódico[p 10]	12–13 May 2003	801	?	46.5– 47.5 27/28	40.0– 41.0 23/24	7.0– 8.0 4	2.0– 3.0 0	6.5
CIS[p 11][p 12]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	714	76.7	45.4 27	35.9 22	10.3 6	–	9.5
Ipsos–Eco/ABC[p 13]	22–24 Apr 2003	?	?	47.0 27/28	40.7 24	6.7 3/4	–	6.3
IMOP/PSOE[p 14]	11 Mar 2003	513	66	45.1 27	41.4 25	6.2 3	2.0 0	3.7
Sondaxe/La Voz de Galicia[p 15][p 16]	18 Jan 2003	?	?	54.4 30	36.5 20	7.2 3	–	17.9
Opina/El País[p 17]	25–26 Nov 2002	800	?	49.0 27	42.0 23	6.0 3	1.5 0	7.0
Demoscopia/CEIM[p 18]	18–25 Oct 2002	2,471	?	54.1	35.2	5.2	4.8	18.9
Opina/El País[p 19][p 20]	29 Sep 2002	?	?	49.0	42.0	6.5	–	7.0
Ipsos–Eco/ABC[p 21]	6–13 Sep 2002	?	?	49.0 28	37.7 21	7.6 4	–	11.3
Inner Line/PSOE[p 22]	29 Jun 2002	1,200	?	46.0– 47.0	40.0– 41.0	8.0– 9.0	–	6.0
Demoscopia/IU[p 23]	27 Jun 2002	1,200	65.7	48.0	39.1	11.0	–	8.9
Inner Line/PSOE[p 24][p 25][p 26]	23 May–8 Jun 2001	1,200	?	47.0 26	40.0 22	10.0 5	–	7.0
2000 general election[3]	12 Mar 2000	—	74.2	55.4 (31)	30.9 (17)	8.8 (5)	0.7 (0)	24.5
1999 municipal election	13 Jun 1999	—	60.1	49.5 28	36.0 20	8.7 5	0.7 0	13.5

Results

← Summary of the 25 May 2003 City Council of Madrid election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	874,264	51.30	+1.82	30	+2
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	625,148	36.68	+0.68	21	+1
	United Left of the Community of Madrid (IUCM)	123,015	7.22	–1.45	4	–1
	The Greens (LV)	26,448	1.55	+0.85	0	±0
	The Greens of the Community of Madrid (LVCM)	9,944	0.58	New	0	±0
	Republican Left (IR)	3,553	0.21	New	0	±0
	Family and Life Party (PFyV)	3,094	0.18	New	0	±0
	The Phalanx (FE)	2,174	0.13	+0.02	0	±0
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	2,136	0.13	–0.32	0	±0
	Independent Spanish Phalanx (FEI)	1,113	0.07	–0.01	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	1,022	0.06	–0.07	0	±0
	Madrilenian Independent Regional Party (PRIM)	903	0.05	–0.06	0	±0
	Commoners' Land–Castilian Nationalist Party (TC–PNC)	820	0.05	–0.02	0	±0
	Another Democracy is Possible (ODeP)	810	0.05	New	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Party (PADE)	801	0.05	±0.00	0	±0
	Authentic Phalanx (FA)	635	0.04	New	0	±0
	Immigrants with Rights, Equality and Obligations (INDIO)	479	0.03	New	0	±0
	Republican Federation (FR)	478	0.03	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		27,304	1.60	–1.30
Total		1,704,141			55	+2
Valid votes		1,704,141	99.56	+0.14
Invalid votes		7,472	0.44	–0.14
Votes cast / turnout		1,711,613	68.93	+8.87
Abstentions		771,510	31.07	–8.87
Registered voters		2,483,123
Sources[4][5][6][7]

Popular vote PP   51.30% PSOE   36.68% IUCM   7.22% LV   1.55% Others   1.64% Blank ballots   1.60%

Seats PP   54.55% PSOE   38.18% IUCM   7.27%

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "El sondeo de Sigma Dos determina una lucha codo a codo entre populares y socialistas en Madrid". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
2. "El PP retiene la mayoría en Madrid, Valencia, Málaga y Valladolid, pero pierde Zaragoza". ABC (in Spanish). 25 May 2003.
3. "Sondeo a pie de urna de Ipsos Eco Consulting para TVE". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 7 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
4. "La 'batalla' de Madrid, la más reñida en los comicios del 25-M". El Mundo (in Spanish). 20 May 2003.
5. "Los indecisos deberán romper el empate a la alcaldía y la Comunidad de Madrid". El País (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
6. "La alcaldía de Madrid depende de los indecisos". El País (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
7. "Mayoría constitucionalista en Vitoria, al obtener 9 ediles el PP y 7 el PSE". ABC (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
8. "Empate técnico en la 'batalla' de Madrid a 9 días de las elecciones". El Mundo (in Spanish). 16 May 2003.
9. "Estimación de concejales, mayo 2003". El Mundo (in Spanish). 16 May 2003.
10. "La alcaldía de Madrid pende de un hilo". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 2 May 2003.
11. "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas, 2003. CA de Madrid (Estudio nº 2493. Marzo-Abril 2003)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 17 May 2003.
12. "La guerra pasa factura electoral al PP". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
13. "Gallardón mantiene la mayoría absoluta en Madrid y PSOE-IU ganarían la Comunidad". ABC (in Spanish). 28 April 2003.
14. "El PSOE recuperará 135.000 votos en las municipales, según una encuesta". El País (in Spanish). 11 March 2003.
15. "El PP ganará las locales en Madrid, según una encuesta de Sondaxe". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 18 January 2003.
16. "Las mujeres no gobernarán en el Ayuntamiento y la Comunidad". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 18 January 2003.
17. "Ruiz-Gallardón logra mayoría absoluta para ser alcalde de Madrid pero por sólo un concejal". El País (in Spanish). 2 December 2002.
18. "Ruiz-Gallardón lograría la mayoría absoluta sin Ana Botella, según un sondeo de la CEIM". El País (in Spanish). 13 November 2002.
19. "El PP mantiene por la mínima la mayoría en Madrid". El País (in Spanish). 29 September 2002.
20. "Encuesta España. Septiembre 2002" (PDF). Instituto Opina (in Spanish). 29 September 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2005. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
21. "El PP mantiene la mayoría absoluta a ocho meses de los comicios municipales". ABC (in Spanish). 22 September 2002.
22. "El PSOE maneja un sondeo en el que el PP pierde por un concejal la mayoría absoluta en Madrid". ABC (in Spanish). 29 June 2002.
23. "Una encuesta vaticina un empate entre el PP y la oposición en los comicios locales". El País (in Spanish). 27 June 2002.
24. "La izquierda puede desbancar al PP de la alcaldía de la capital, según un sondeo del PSOE". El País (in Spanish). 6 July 2001.
25. "La encuesta de la FSM atribuye a la izquierda la mayoría". ABC (in Spanish). 30 June 2001.
26. "Un sondeo del PSOE sobre intención de voto predice una victoria de la izquierda". El País (in Spanish). 25 June 2001.

Other

1. Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local (Law 7) (in Spanish). 2 April 1985. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
2. Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5) (in Spanish). 19 June 1985. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
3. "Electoral Results Consultation. Congress. March 2000. Madrid Municipality". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2017.
4. "Local election results, 25 May 2003" (PDF). Central Electoral Commission (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 February 2018.
5. "1991-2003 Municipal Elections. Madrid" (PDF). www.madrid.es (in Spanish). City Council of Madrid. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
6. "Electoral Results Consultation. Municipal. May 2003. Madrid Municipality". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2017.
7. "Elecciones Municipales en Madrid (1979 - 2015)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 September 2017.