The 2011 Madrilenian regional election was held on Sunday, 22 May 2011, to elect the 9th Assembly of the Community of Madrid. All 129 seats in the Assembly were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

Quick Facts All 129 seats in the Assembly of Madrid 65 seats needed for a majority, Registered ...
2011 Madrilenian regional election

 2007 22 May 2011 2015 

All 129 seats in the Assembly of Madrid
65 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered4,622,750 Green arrow up3.7%
Turnout2,993,235 (65.9%)
Red arrow down1.4 pp
  First party Second party Third party
  Thumb Thumb Thumb
Leader Esperanza Aguirre Tomás Gómez Gregorio Gordo
Party PP PSOE IUCMLV
Leader since 16 October 2002 27 July 2007 20 March 2009
Last election 67 seats, 53.3% 42 seats, 33.6% 11 seats, 8.9%
Seats won 72 36 13
Seat change Green arrow up5 Red arrow down6 Green arrow up2
Popular vote 1,548,306 786,297 287,707
Percentage 51.7% 26.3% 9.6%
Swing Red arrow down1.6 pp Red arrow down7.3 pp Green arrow up0.7 pp

  Fourth party
  Thumb
Leader Luis de Velasco
Party UPyD
Leader since 23 October 2010
Last election Did not contest
Seats won 8
Seat change Green arrow up8
Popular vote 189,055
Percentage 6.3%
Swing New party

President before election

Esperanza Aguirre
PP

Elected President

Esperanza Aguirre
PP

Close

The election was won by the People's Party (PP), which had formed the regional government since the 1995 election. Overall, the PP under incumbent President Esperanza Aguirre won 72 seats, although the party's overall vote share decreased. In contrast, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) under former Mayor of Parla Tomás Gómez had their worst result in terms of votes and seats up until that date. The third largest party, United Left (IU), polled their highest share of the vote since 1995, whereas Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), a party formed after the 2007 election, surpassed the 5% threshold and entered the Assembly for the first time.

Overview

Electoral system

The Assembly of Madrid was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Madrid, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Madrilenian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.[1] Voting for the Assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Community of Madrid and in full enjoyment of their political rights. Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for Madrilenians abroad to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado).[2]

All members of the Assembly of Madrid 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 regionally. The Assembly was entitled to one member per each 50,000 inhabitants or fraction greater than 25,000.[1][3]

Election date

The term of the Assembly of Madrid expired four years after the date of its previous election, with elections to the Assembly being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 27 May 2007, setting the election date for the Assembly on Sunday, 22 May 2011.[1][3][4]

The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Assembly of Madrid and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution.[5] In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Assembly was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.[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, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least 0.5 percent of the electorate in the Community of Madrid, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.[3][4]

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

More information Candidacy, Parties and alliances ...
Candidacy Parties and
alliances
Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Ref.
Votes (%) Seats
PP
List
Esperanza Aguirre Conservatism
Christian democracy
53.29% 67 checkY
PSOE Tomás Gómez Social democracy 33.57% 42 ☒N
IUCMLV Gregorio Gordo Socialism
Communism
8.86% 11 ☒N
UPyD Luis de Velasco Social liberalism
Radical centrism
New party ☒N
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Campaign

Election debates

More information Date, Organisers ...
2011 Madrilenian regional election debates
Date Organisers Moderator(s)     P  Present[a]  
PP PSOE IUCMLV Audience Ref.
8 May Telemadrid Víctor Arribas P
Aguirre
P
Gómez
P
Gordo
6.4%
(175,000)
[6]
[7]
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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.

Graphical summary

Thumb
Local regression trend line of poll results from 27 May 2007 to 22 May 2011, with each line corresponding to a political party.

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; 65 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Assembly of Madrid (61 until 1 January 2010).

Color key:

  Exit poll

More information Polling firm/Commissioner, Fieldwork date ...
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Results

Overall

More information Parties and alliances, Popular vote ...
Summary of the 22 May 2011 Assembly of Madrid election results
Thumb
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes  % ±pp Total +/−
People's Party (PP) 1,548,30651.73–1.56 72+5
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 786,29726.27–7.30 36–6
United Left of the Community of MadridThe Greens (IUCM–LV) 287,7079.61+0.75 13+2
Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) 189,0556.32New 8+8
Ecolo–Greens (Ecolo)1 29,1160.97–0.14 0±0
Citizens for Blank Votes (CenB) 19,2200.64New 0±0
Anti-Bullfighting Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA) 15,8970.53+0.30 0±0
For a Fairer World (PUM+J) 10,3300.35+0.18 0±0
The Phalanx (FE) 6,4240.21+0.12 0±0
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) 5,6560.19+0.05 0±0
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's) 4,8790.16New 0±0
Humanist Party (PH) 3,9350.13+0.07 0±0
Spanish Alternative (AES) 3,6900.12–0.05 0±0
Union for Leganés (ULEG) 3,4350.11+0.06 0±0
Liberal Democratic Centre (CDL) 3,1690.11New 0±0
Castilian Party (PCAS) 1,7220.06New 0±0
Centre and Democracy Forum (CyD) 1,6390.05New 0±0
Internationalist Solidarity and Self-Management (SAIn) 1,3000.04New 0±0
Blank ballots 71,4582.39+0.66
Total 2,993,235 129+9
Valid votes 2,993,23598.32–1.23
Invalid votes 51,1141.68+1.23
Votes cast / turnout 3,044,34965.86–1.45
Abstentions 1,578,40134.14+1.45
Registered voters 4,622,750
Sources[8][9]
Footnotes:
  • 1 Ecolo–Greens results are compared to The Greens totals in the 2007 election.
Close
More information Popular vote ...
Popular vote
PP
51.73%
PSOE
26.27%
IUCMLV
9.61%
UPyD
6.32%
Others
3.69%
Blank ballots
2.39%
Close
More information Seats ...
Seats
PP
55.81%
PSOE
27.91%
IUCMLV
10.08%
UPyD
6.20%
Close

Elected legislators

The following table lists the elected legislators[10] sorted by order of election.

More information Elected legislators, # ...
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Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture processes to elect the President of the Community of Madrid required for an absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—to be obtained in the first ballot. If unsuccessful, a new ballot would be held 48 hours later requiring of a simple majority—more affirmative than negative votes—to succeed. If none of such majorities were achieved, successive candidate proposals could be processed under the same procedure. In the event of the investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Assembly would be automatically dissolved and a snap election called.[1]

More information Ballot →, 15 June 2011 ...
Investiture
Esperanza Aguirre (PP)
Ballot → 15 June 2011
Required majority → 65 out of 129 checkY
Yes
  • PP (72)
72 / 129
No
57 / 129
Abstentions
0 / 129
Absentees
0 / 129
Sources[8]
Close

2012 investiture

On 17 September 2012, Esperanza Aguirre announced her resignation as President of the Community of Madrid, being succeeded by Ignacio González.

More information Ballot →, 26 September 2012 ...
Investiture
Ignacio González (PP)
Ballot → 26 September 2012
Required majority → 65 out of 129 checkY
Yes
  • PP (72)
72 / 129
No
53 / 129
Abstentions
0 / 129
Absentees
4 / 129
Sources[8]
Close

Notes

  1. Denotes a main invitee attending the event.

References

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