2003 Valencian regional election

A regional election was held in the Valencian Community on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Corts of the autonomous community. All 89 seats in the Corts were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

2003 Valencian regional election

← 1999 25 May 2003 2007 →
All 89 seats in the Corts Valencianes 45 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	3,423,098 1.8%
Turnout	2,447,224 (71.5%) 3.7 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Francisco Camps Joan Ignasi Pla Joan Ribó Party PP PSPV–PSOE Entesa Leader since 10 July 2002 24 September 2000 1997 Leader's seat Valencia Valencia Valencia Last election 49 seats, 47.9% 35 seats, 33.9% 5 seats, 6.1% Seats won 48 35 6 Seat change 1 0 1 Popular vote 1,146,780 874,288 154,494 Percentage 47.2% 36.0% 6.4% Swing 0.7 pp 2.1 pp 0.3 pp
Vote winner strength by constituency Election results by constituency
President before election José Luis Olivas PP Elected President Francisco Camps PP

Despite growing discontent with the nationwide José María Aznar's government, the People's Party (PP) was able to comfortably retain its absolute majority in the Corts, losing only one seat compared to 1999, which was gained by the Agreement (Entesa) alliance led by United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV). The Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE), while increasing its vote share in two percentage points compared to its 1999 result, failed to translate it into any new seats. Valencian Union (UV), the former PP coalition partner during the first Zaplana government (1995–1999), continued its decline into irrelevance and fell below 3%, depriving it of any possibility of overcoming the five percent threshold to enter the Corts.

Francisco Camps became the new president of the Valencian Government succeeding José Luis Olivas, who had replaced Eduardo Zaplana in 2002 after the latter was named Labour and Social Affairs minister in Aznar's second cabinet.

Overview

Electoral system

The Corts Valencianes were the devolved, unicameral legislature of the Valencian autonomous community, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Valencian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.^[1]

Voting for the Corts was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Valencian Community and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 89 members of the Corts Valencianes were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Alicante, Castellón and Valencia, with each being allocated an initial minimum of 20 seats and the remaining 29 being distributed in proportion to their populations (provided that the seat-to-population ratio in any given province did not exceed three times that of any other).^[1][2]

Election date

The term of the Corts Valencianes expired four years after the date of their previous election, with elections to the Corts being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 13 June 1999, setting the election date for the Corts on Sunday, 25 May 2003.^[1][2][3]

The Corts Valencianes could not be dissolved before the date of expiry of parliament.^[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 one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.^[2][3]

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

Candidacy		Parties and alliances	Leading candidate		Ideology	Previous result		Gov.	Ref.
						Vote %	Seats
	PP	List People's Party (PP)		Francisco Camps	Conservatism Christian democracy	47.9%	49
	PSPV–PSOE	List Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE)		Joan Ignasi Pla	Social democracy	33.9%	35
	Entesa	List United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV) The Greens (EV/LV) Valencian Left (EV)		Joan Ribó	Valencian nationalism Socialism Green politics	6.1%	5
	BNV–EV	List Valencian Nationalist Bloc (BNV) Green Left (EV)		Pere Mayor	Valencian nationalism Eco-socialism Green politics	4.5%	0

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; 45 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Corts Valencianes.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout						Lead
2003 regional election	25 May 2003	—	71.5	47.2 48	36.0 35	6.4 6	3.0 0	4.7 0	11.2
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 1]	25 May 2003	?	?	? 46/49	? 34/37	? 6	–	–	?
Ipsos–Eco/RTVE[p 2]	25 May 2003	?	?	? 46/48	? 35/37	? 4/6	–	–	?
Insight/La Razón[p 3]	19 May 2003	?	?	47.6 47/50	? 33/37	? 4/5	–	–	?
Opina/El País[p 4]	18 May 2003	?	?	46.0 46/47	38.0 38	6.0 4/5	3.0 0	3.0 0	8.0
GES/PSPV[p 5]	9–15 May 2003	2,000	72.6	44.0 43/44	39.9 40/41	6.7 5	3.9 0	4.6 0	4.1
Investratègia/Bloc–EV[p 6]	9–11 May 2003	1,500	68.8	45.5 44/47	37.5 33/36	6.5 4/5	3.2 0	5.6 4/5	8.0
CIS[p 7][p 8]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	2,096	80.0	41.9 44	37.9 39	7.4 6	3.9 0	4.1 0	4.0
Vox Pública/El Periódico[p 9][p 10][p 11]	25–27 Apr 2003	800	?	45.0– 46.0 45/48	36.5– 37.5 35/39	5.0– 6.0 3/5	–	4.5– 5.5 0/4	8.5
Insight/PP[p 12]	9–18 Dec 2002	1,200	?	51.1 49/52	34.3 34/36	6.1 3/4	3.9 0	3.9 0	16.8
GES/PSPV[p 13]	15–23 Oct 2002	3,000	?	44.9 44	40.2 40	5.7 5	3.8 0	3.9 0	4.7
CIS[p 14][p 15][p 16]	9 Sep–9 Oct 2002	730	76.6	47.7	34.1	6.7	–	–	13.6
GES/PSPV[p 17]	10 Dec–25 Apr 2002	27,000	?	46.1 46	37.8 38	5.9 5	–	3.3 0	8.3
GES/PSPV[p 18]	10 Jan–10 Feb 2002	10,500	?	47.5 47	38.4 38	5.2 4	3.4 0	3.5 0	9.1
Insight/PP[p 19]	26 Dec–10 Jan 2002	900	?	52.1 52/53	33.1 31/33	5.4 4/5	1.7 0	3.6 0	19.0
Insight/PP[p 20]	1–8 Jul 2000	1,200	?	51.8 49/55	31.0 29/32	5.8 4/5	3.9 0	5.0 0/4	20.8
2000 general election	12 Mar 2000	—	72.7	52.1 (52)	34.0 (34)	5.8 (3)	2.4 (0)	2.4 (0)	18.1
Insight/PP[p 21]	3 Jan 2000	?	?	52.8	30.3	–	–	–	22.5
1999 regional election	13 Jun 1999	—	67.8	47.9 49	33.9 35	6.1 5	4.7 0	4.5 0	14.0

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size						?	N	Lead
2003 regional election	25 May 2003	—	33.9	25.8	4.6	2.1	3.4	—	27.7	8.1
CIS[p 7]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	2,096	27.3	25.8	4.7	1.6	2.3	29.6	4.4	1.5
CIS[p 14]	9 Sep–9 Oct 2002	730	31.6	22.6	4.0	–	–	25.4	9.9	9.0
2000 general election	12 Mar 2000	—	38.0	24.8	4.2	1.7	1.8	—	26.6	13.2
1999 regional election	13 Jun 1999	—	32.1	22.7	4.1	3.1	3.0	—	32.0	9.4

Victory preferences

The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size						Other/ None	?	Lead
CIS[p 7]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	2,096	34.5	36.1	4.0	2.0	2.3	1.6	19.4	1.6

Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a regional election taking place.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size						Other/ None	?	Lead
CIS[p 7]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	2,096	48.4	26.8	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	24.4	21.6

Preferred President

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become president of the Valencian Government.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size						Other/ None/ Not care	?	Lead
			Camps PP	Pla PSPV	Ribó EUPV	Chiquillo UV	Mayor Bloc
CIS[p 7]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	2,096	21.2	18.6	2.9	1.0	1.7	4.6	50.0	2.6

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 25 May 2003 Corts Valencianes election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	1,146,780	47.17	−0.71	48	−1
	Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE)	874,288	35.96	+2.05	35	±0
	United Left–The Greens–Valencian Left: The Agreement (L'Entesa)	154,494	6.35	+0.30	6	+1
	Valencian Nationalist Bloc–Green Left (Bloc–EV)	114,011	4.69	+0.16	0	±0
	Union–Valencian Union (UV)	72,557	2.98	−1.70	0	±0
	Republican Left of the Valencian Country (ERPV)	7,609	0.31	New	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE)	3,884	0.16	New	0	±0
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	3,189	0.13	±0.00	0	±0
	Regional Party of the Valencian Community (PRCV)	2,868	0.12	New	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	2,747	0.11	+0.01	0	±0
	Spain 2000 (E–2000)	2,650	0.11	New	0	±0
	Federal Republican Party (PRF)	2,545	0.10	+0.03	0	±0
	Authentic Phalanx (FA)	2,332	0.10	New	0	±0
	Family and Life Party (PFyV)	1,690	0.07	New	0	±0
	Another Democracy is Possible (ODeP)	1,156	0.05	New	0	±0
	National Democracy (DN)	798	0.03	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		37,805	1.55	±0.00
Total		2,431,403			89	±0
Valid votes		2,431,403	99.35	−0.06
Invalid votes		15,821	0.65	+0.06
Votes cast / turnout		2,447,224	71.49	+3.68
Abstentions		975,874	28.51	−3.68
Registered voters		3,423,098
Sources[4][5][6]

Popular vote PP   47.17% PSPV–PSOE   35.96% L'Entesa   6.35% Bloc–EV   4.69% UV   2.98% Others   1.29% Blank ballots   1.55%

Seats PP   53.93% PSPV–PSOE   39.33% L'Entesa   6.74%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency	PP		PSPV		L'Entesa
	%	S	%	S	%	S
Alicante	48.3	16	37.2	12	5.9	2
Castellón	48.1	13	36.5	9	4.4	1
Valencia	46.3	19	35.1	14	7.0	3
Total	47.2	48	36.0	35	6.4	6
Sources[5][6]

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Candidate		Ballot →		18 June 2003
		Required majority →		45 out of 89
	Francisco Camps (PP)		Yes • PP (48)	48 / 89	Y
			No • PSPV (34) • L'Entesa (6)	40 / 89
			Absentees	0 / 89
			Abstentions • PSPV (1)	0 / 89
	Joan Ignasi Pla (PSPV)	Cancelled
	Joan Ribó (L'Entesa)	Cancelled
Sources[6]

2006 motion of no confidence

Motion of no confidence Joan Ignasi Pla (PSPV)
Ballot →		4 October 2006
Required majority →		45 out of 89 N
	Yes • PSPV (35)	35 / 89
	No • PP (47)	47 / 89
	Abstentions • L'Entesa (6) • CVa (1)	7 / 89
	Absentees	0 / 89
Sources[6]