2008 Spanish general election

A general election was held in Spain on Sunday, 9 March 2008, to elect the members of the 9th Cortes Generales. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 208 of 264 seats in the Senate.

2008 Spanish general election

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All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 208 (of 264) seats in the Senate 176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies
Opinion polls
Registered	35,073,179 1.5%
Turnout	25,900,439 (73.8%) 1.9 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Mariano Rajoy Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida Party PSOE PP CiU Leader since 22 July 2000 2 September 2003 24 January 2004 Leader's seat Madrid Madrid Barcelona Last election 164 seats, 42.6% 148 seats, 37.7% 10 seats, 3.2% Seats won 169 154 10 Seat change 5 6 0 Popular vote 11,289,335 10,278,010 779,425 Percentage 43.9% 39.9% 3.0% Swing 1.3 pp 2.2 pp 0.2 pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Josu Erkoreka Joan Ridao Gaspar Llamazares Party EAJ/PNV ERC IU Leader since 2004 2007 29 October 2000 Leader's seat Biscay Barcelona Madrid Last election 7 seats, 1.6% 8 seats, 2.5% 5 seats, 5.0% Seats won 6 3 2 Seat change 1 5 3 Popular vote 306,128 298,139 969,946 Percentage 1.2% 1.2% 3.8% Swing 0.4 pp 1.3 pp 1.2 pp
Vote winner strength by constituency (Congress) Vote winner strength by autonomous community (Congress) Election results by constituency (Congress)
Prime Minister before election José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero PSOE Prime Minister after election José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero PSOE

After four years of growing bipolarisation of Spanish politics, the election saw a record result for both ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and opposition People's Party (PP), together obtaining more than 83% of the vote share—over 21 million votes—and 92% of the Congress seats. The PSOE under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero benefitted from tactical voting against the PP and emerged as the most-voted party just 7 seats short of an overall majority. On the other hand, Mariano Rajoy's PP saw an increase in its vote share and seat count but remained unable to overtake the Socialists.

United Left (IU) had its worst general election performance ever with less than 4% and 2 seats. Regional nationalist parties Convergence and Union (CiU), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) or Aragonese Union (CHA) were also hurt by the massive tactical voting towards the PSOE, falling to historical lows of popular support. Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), with 1 seat and slightly more than 300,000 votes, became the first nationwide party aside from PSOE, PP and IU entering in parliament in over two decades.

Zapatero was sworn in as Prime Minister of Spain for a second term in office in April 2008, just as the Spanish economy began showing signs of fatigue and economic slowdown after a decade of growth.

Overview

Electoral system

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 few exclusive (yet limited in number) functions—such as its role in constitutional amendment—which were not subject to the Congress' override.^[1][2] Voting for 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.^[3][4]

For the Congress of Deputies, 348 seats 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 Spain, with each being allocated an initial minimum of two seats and the remaining 248 being distributed in proportion to their populations. Ceuta and Melilla were allocated the two remaining seats, which were elected using plurality voting.^[5][6] The use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.^[7]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:^[8]

Seats	Constituencies
35	Madrid
31	Barcelona
16	Valencia
12	Alicante(+1), Seville
10	Málaga, Murcia(+1)
9	Cádiz
8	A Coruña(–1), Asturias, Balearic Islands, Biscay(–1), Las Palmas
7	Granada, Pontevedra, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Zaragoza
6	Almería(+1), Badajoz, Córdoba(–1), Girona, Guipúzcoa, Jaén, Tarragona, Toledo(+1)
5	Cantabria, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Huelva, León, Navarre, Valladolid
4	Álava, Albacete, Burgos, Cáceres, La Rioja, Lleida, Lugo, Ourense, Salamanca
3	Ávila, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Huesca, Palencia, Segovia, Teruel, Zamora
2	Soria(–1)

For the Senate, 208 seats were elected using an open list partial block voting system, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. 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—Majorca, 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.^[9][10]

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 legislature's term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when needed, by the designated substitutes, of which the list could include up to ten.^[11]

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 date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE), with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication.^[12] The previous election was held on 14 March 2004, which meant that the legislature's term would expire on 14 March 2008. The election decree was required to be published in the BOE no later than 19 February 2008, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes Generales on Sunday, 13 April 2008.

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.^[13] 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.^[14] Barred this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections to the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of 2025, there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.

In November 2007, it was announced by Andalusian president Manuel Chaves that he had agreed with Zapatero to hold the regional election in Andalusia simultaneously with the 2008 Spanish general election in March.^[15][16]

The Cortes Generales were officially dissolved on 15 January 2008 after the publication of the dissolution decree in the BOE, setting the election date for 9 March and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 1 April.^[8]

Parliamentary composition

The tables below show the composition of the parliamentary groups in both chambers at the time of dissolution.^[17][18]

Parliamentary composition in January 2008[19] Congress of Deputies Groups Parties Deputies Seats Total Socialist Parliamentary Group of the Congress PSOE 142 164 PSC 20 LV 1 EV–OV 1 People's Parliamentary Group in the Congress PP 145 147 UPN 2 Catalan Parliamentary Group (Convergence and Union) CDC 6 10 UDC 4 Republican Left's Parliamentary Group ERC 8 8 Basque Parliamentary Group (EAJ/PNV) EAJ/PNV 7 7 United Left–Initiative for Catalonia Greens' Parliamentary Group IU 2 5 ICV 2 IdPV 1 Mixed Parliamentary Group CC 2 9 BNG 2 NC 1 CHA 1 EA 1 NaBai 1 INDEP 1[a]

Parliamentary composition in January 2008[21] Senate Groups Parties Senators Seats Total People's Parliamentary Group in the Senate PP 119 123 UPN 3 IF 1 Socialist Parliamentary Group PSOE 98 98 Catalan Agreement of Progress Parliamentary Group PSC 10 16 ERC 4 ICV 1 EUiA 1 Basque Nationalist Senators' Parliamentary Group EAJ/PNV 8 8 Convergence and Union's Catalan Parliamentary Group in the Senate CDC 5 6 UDC 1 Canarian Coalition Senators' Parliamentary Group CC 3 4 AHI 1 Mixed Parliamentary Group BNG 1 4 PAR 1 PSM 1 INDEP 1[b]

Parties and candidates

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's decision nor convicted by a judgement, even if not yet final, which imposed a penalty of forfeiture of eligibility or of specific disqualification or suspension from public office under specific offences: rebellion, terrorism or other crimes against the state. Other general causes of ineligibility were imposed on members of the Spanish royal family; 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 Prime Minister's Office, government delegations, the Social Security and other government agencies; heads of diplomatic missions in foreign states or international organizations; judges and public prosecutors in active service; Armed Forces and police corps personnel in active service; members of electoral commissions; the chair 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 the Nuclear Safety Council; as well as a number of territorial-level officers in the aforementioned government bodies and institutions being barred from running, during their tenure of office, in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction.^[23][24] Disqualification provisions for the Cortes Generales extended to any employee of a foreign state and to members of regional governments, as well as the impossibility of running simultaneously as candidate for both the Congress and Senate.^[25]

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.^[26] Amendments to the electoral law in 2007 introduced requirements for a balanced composition of men and women in the lists of candidates, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition.^[27]

Main candidacies

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.
						Congress		Senate
						Vote %	Seats	Vote %	Seats
	PSOE	List Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) Extremaduran Coalition (PREx–CREx) – Extremaduran Regionalist Party (PREx) – Regionalist Convergence of Extremadura (CREx) Coalition for Melilla (CpM) Ibiza for Change (ExC) – United Left of Ibiza (EU) – The Greens (Verds) – Nationalist and Ecologist Agreement (ENE) – Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) PSOE–EU–PSM–Verds (PSOE–EU–PSM–Verds) – United Left of Menorca (EU) – Socialist Party of Menorca (PSM) – The Greens (Verds)		José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero	Social democracy	42.6%	164	36.5%	81		[28] [29]
	PP	List People's Party (PP) Navarrese People's Union (UPN) Independents of Fuerteventura (IF)		Mariano Rajoy	Conservatism Christian democracy	37.7%	148	37.9%	102		[30] [31]
	CiU	List Convergence and Union (CiU) – Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) – Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC)		Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida	Catalan nationalism Centrism	3.2%	10	3.8%	4		[32] [33]
	esquerra	List Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC)		Joan Ridao	Catalan independence Left-wing nationalism Social democracy	2.5%	8	—[c]			[34]
	EAJ/PNV	List Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)		Josu Erkoreka	Basque nationalism Christian democracy	1.6%	7	1.7%	6
	IU	List United Left (IU) – Communist Party of Spain (PCE) – Collective for the Unity of Workers–Andalusian Left Bloc (CUT–BAI) – Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR) Initiative for Catalonia Greens–United and Alternative Left (ICV–EUiA) – Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) – United and Alternative Left (EUiA) United Left–Greens (EB–B) Bloc for Asturias (BA) The Greens of Asturias (LVA) The Greens of Majorca (LVM) United and Republican Left (EUPV–IR) – United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV) – Republican Left (IR)		Gaspar Llamazares	Socialism Communism	5.0%	5	4.1%	0		[35]
	CC–PNC	List Canarian Coalition (CC) Canarian Nationalist Party (PNC) Independent Herrenian Group (AHI)		Ana Oramas	Regionalism Canarian nationalism Centrism	0.9%	3	0.6%	3		[36]
	BNG	List Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) – Galician People's Union (UPG) – Socialist Collective (CS) – Galician Nationalist Party–Galicianist Party (PNG–PG) – Nationalist Left (EN) – Inzar (Inzar) – Movement for the Grassroots (MpB) – Irmandiño Meeting (EI)		Francisco Jorquera	Galician nationalism Left-wing nationalism Socialism	0.8%	2	1.1%	0		[37] [38]
	CHA	List Aragonese Union (CHA)		Bizén Fuster	Aragonese nationalism Eco-socialism	0.4%	1	0.3%	0		[39]
	EA	List Basque Solidarity (EA)		Nekane Altzelai	Basque nationalism Social democracy	0.3%	1	0.3%	0		[40]
	NaBai	List Basque Solidarity (EA) Aralar (Aralar) Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV) Assembly (Batzarre)		Uxue Barkos	Basque nationalism Social democracy	0.2%	1	0.3%	0		[41]
	PSC–ERC– ICV–EUiA	List Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) United and Alternative Left (EUiA)		Maite Arqué	Catalanism Social democracy Eco-socialism	—		8.7%	12		[42]
	UPyD	List Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD)		Rosa Díez	Social liberalism Radical centrism	—		—			[43] [44]

In the Canary Islands, an alliance was formed between New Canaries (NC) and Nationalist Canarian Centre (CCN), two splinter groups from Canarian Coalition.^[45] In the Valencian Community, Valencian People's Initiative (IdPV)—splinter from United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV)—joined a coalition with the Valencian Nationalist Bloc (Bloc) and The Greens–Ecologist Left of the Valencian Country (EVEE).^[46] Unity for the Isles, an electoral alliance based in the Balearic Islands, was formed by PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN), Majorcan Union (UM), Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), Agreement for Majorca (ExM) and The Greens of Menorca (EV–Me).^[47]

Timetable

The key dates are listed below (all times are CET. The Canary Islands used WET (UTC+0) instead):^[48]

• 14 January: The election decree is issued with the countersign of the Prime Minister after deliberation in the Council of Ministers, ratified by the King.^[8]
• 15 January: Formal dissolution of the Cortes Generales and official start of ban period for the organization of events for the inauguration of public works, services or projects.
• 18 January: Initial constitution of provincial and zone electoral commissions.
• 25 January: Deadline for parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to inform the relevant electoral commission.
• 4 February: Deadline for parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates to the relevant electoral commission.
• 6 February: Submitted lists of candidates are provisionally published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
• 9 February: Deadline for citizens entered in the Register of Absent Electors Residing Abroad (CERA) and for citizens temporarily absent from Spain to apply for voting.
• 10 February: Deadline for parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors to rectify irregularities in their lists.
• 11 February: Official proclamation of valid submitted lists of candidates.
• 12 February: Proclaimed lists are published in the BOE.
• 22 February: Official start of electoral campaigning.^[8]
• 28 February: Deadline to apply for postal voting.
• 4 March: Official start of legal ban on electoral opinion polling publication, dissemination or reproduction and deadline for CERA citizens to vote by mail.
• 5 March: Deadline for postal and temporarily absent voters to issue their votes.
• 7 March: Last day of official electoral campaigning and deadline for CERA citizens to vote in a ballot box in the relevant consular office or division.^[8]
• 8 March: Official 24-hour ban on political campaigning prior to the general election (reflection day).
• 9 March: Polling day (polling stations open at 9 am and close at 8 pm or once voters present in a queue at/outside the polling station at 8 pm have cast their vote). Counting of votes starts immediately.
• 12 March: General counting of votes, including the counting of CERA votes.
• 15 March: Deadline for the general counting of votes to be carried out by the relevant electoral commission.
• 24 March: Deadline for elected members to be proclaimed by the relevant electoral commission.
• 3 April: Deadline for both chambers of the Cortes Generales to be re-assembled (the election decree determines this date, which for the 2008 election was set for 1 April).^[8]
• 3 May: Maximum deadline for definitive results to be published in the BOE.

Campaign

Party slogans

Party or alliance		Original slogan	English translation	Ref.
	PSOE	« Motivos para creer »[d]	"Reasons to believe"[d]	[49][50]
	PP	« Con cabeza y corazón »	"With brain and heart"	[50][51]
	CiU	« El teu vot farà respectar Catalunya »	"Your vote will make Catalonia to be respected"	[50][52][53]
	esquerra	« Objectiu: un país de primera »	"Goal: A first class country"	[50][54][55]
	EAJ/PNV	« Euskadin bizi naiz ni, zu, non bizi zara? » « Yo vivo en Euskadi, tú ¿dónde vives? »	"I live in the Basque Country, where do you live?"	[56][57]
	IU	« LlamazarES + izquierda »	"LlamazarES (is) more left"	[50][58]
	CC–PNC	« Habla canario, ponte en tu sitio »	"Speak, Canarian, claim your place"	[59]
	BNG	« Contigo, Galiza decide »	"With you, Galicia decides"	[60]
	CHA	« Aragón con más fuerza »	"Aragon, with more strength"	[61]
	EA	« Herriaren ahotsa » « La voz del pueblo »	"The voice of the people"	[57]
	NaBai	« Moogi, moogi. Mugi gaitezen, mugi dezagun » « Movámonos, movámoslo »	"Let's move us, let's move it"	[62]
	UPyD	« Lo que nos une »	"What unites us"	[50][63]

Although the official electoral campaign period in Spain only lasts for the 15 days before the election, (with the exception of the day just before the election), many parties, especially the PP and PSOE, start their "pre-campaigns" months in advance, often before having finalised their electoral lists.

PSOE

The first phase campaign was done under the slogan "Con Z de Zapatero" (With Z of Zapatero), a joke based on the Prime Minister and socialist candidate's habit of tending to pronounce words ending with D as if they ended with Z. The campaign was linked to terms like equality (Igualdad-Igualdaz) or solidarity (Solidaridad-Solidaridaz), emphasizing the policies carried out by the current government. The second phase was done under the slogan "La Mirada Positiva" (The Positive outlook), emphasising the future government platform, and "Vota con todas tus fuerzas" (Vote with all of your strength), aiming to mobilize the indecisive or potentially abstaining voters. Another common slogan through all the campaign was "Motivos para creer" (Reasons to believe in).

PP

For the pre-campaign the PP used the slogan "Con Rajoy es Posible" (With Rajoy it's Possible). Usually emphasizing PP's campaign proposals, such as "Llegar a fin de mes, Con Rajoy es Posible" (Making ends meet, With Rajoy it's Possible). IU accused PP of copying its slogan from the last municipal elections^[64]

IU

IU chose the pre-campaign slogan "LlamazarES + Más Izquierda" (LlamazarES (is) More Left), calling attention to their position as the third national party.

Campaign issues

The economy became a major campaign issue due to a number of factors:

• A slowing down in the housing market, with prices even beginning to fall in some areas.
• Sharp increases in prices of some basic commodities.
• Global instability as a result of market uncertainty.
• A rise in unemployment.

The sudden emergence of the economy as a political issue came after several years of steady economic growth, and led some observers to suggest that maybe the government would have benefitted from calling an earlier election.^[65] In addition to those factors both the PP and the PSOE made competing proposals on taxation.

Election debates

2008 Spanish general election debates

Date	Organisers	Moderator(s)	P  Present[e]    S  Surrogate[f]    NI  Not invited
			PSOE	PP	IU	CiU	ERC	PNV	CC	Share	Ref.
21 February	Antena 3[g]	Matías Prats	P Solbes	P Pizarro	NI	NI	NI	NI	NI	24.4% (4,784,000)	[66] [67]
25 February	TV Academy	Manuel Campo Vidal	P Zapatero	P Rajoy	NI	NI	NI	NI	NI	59.1% (13,043,000)	[68] [69]
28 February	TVE	Ana Blanco	S Jáuregui	S G. Pons	S Muñoz	S Jané	P Ridao	P Erkoreka	S Bañuelos	11.1% (1,759,000)	[70]
3 March	TV Academy	Olga Viza	P Zapatero	P Rajoy	NI	NI	NI	NI	NI	56.3% (11,952,000)	[68] [71]
5 March	TVE (59 segundos)	Ana Pastor	S Jáuregui	S G. Pons	S Nieto	S Xuclà	S Cerdà	P Erkoreka	P Oramas	10.4% (1,774,000)	[72]

Opinion polls

Candidate viewed as "performing best" or "most convincing" in each debate

Debate	Polling firm/Commissioner	PSOE	PP	Tie	None	?
21 February	TNS Demoscopia/Antena 3[66]	47.4	37.0	–	15.6	–
25 February	Sigma Dos/El Mundo[73][74]	45.5	42.0	–	–	12.5
	Metroscopia/El País[75]	46.0	42.0	12.0	–	–
	Opina/Cuatro[76]	45.4	33.4	8.2	–	13.0
	Invymark/laSexta[76]	45.7	30.1	24.1	–	–
	TNS Demoscopia/Antena 3[77]	45.4	39.3	–	15.3	–
3 March	Sigma Dos/El Mundo[78]	49.0	40.2	–	–	10.8
	Metroscopia/El País[79]	53.0	38.0	9.0	–	–
	Opina/Cuatro[80]	50.8	29.0	13.4	–	6.8
	Invymark/laSexta[81]	49.2	29.8	21.0	–	–
	CIS[82]	53.3	21.5	6.9	15.8	2.5

Opinion polls

Main article: Opinion polling for the 2008 Spanish general election

Local regression trend line of poll results from 14 March 2004 to 9 March 2008, with each line corresponding to a political party.

Results

Congress of Deputies

For results by autonomous community/constituency, see Results breakdown of the 2008 Spanish general election (Congress).

← Summary of the 9 March 2008 Congress of Deputies election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)	11,289,335	43.87	+1.28	169	+5
	People's Party (PP)	10,278,010	39.94	+2.23	154	+6
	United Left (IU)	969,946	3.77	–1.19	2	–3
	Convergence and Union (CiU)	779,425	3.03	–0.20	10	±0
	Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)	306,128	1.19	–0.44	6	–1
	Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD)	306,079	1.19	New	1	+1
	Republican Left of Catalonia (esquerra)	298,139	1.16	–1.36	3	–5
	Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG)	212,543	0.83	+0.02	2	±0
	Canarian Coalition–Canarian Nationalist Party (CC–PNC)1	174,629	0.68	–0.25	2	–1
	Andalusian Coalition (CA)2	68,679	0.27	–0.52	0	±0
	Navarre Yes (NaBai)	62,398	0.24	±0.00	1	±0
	Basque Solidarity (EA)	50,371	0.20	–0.11	0	–1
	The Greens (Verdes)	49,355	0.19	–0.01	0	±0
	The Greens (Verdes)	41,531	0.16	+0.10	0	±0
	The Greens (EV–LV)3	7,824	0.03	–0.11	0	±0
	Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's)	46,313	0.18	New	0	±0
	Anti-Bullfighting Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA)	44,795	0.17	New	0	±0
	Aragonese Party (PAR)	40,054	0.16	+0.02	0	±0
	Aragonese Union (CHA)	38,202	0.15	–0.21	0	–1
	New Canaries–Canarian Centre (NC–CCN)	38,024	0.15	New	0	±0
	The Greens–Green Group (LV–GV)	30,840	0.12	+0.07	0	±0
	Aralar (Aralar)	29,989	0.12	–0.03	0	±0
	Bloc–Initiative–Greens (Bloc–IdPV–EVEE)	29,760	0.12	–0.04	0	±0
	Unity for the Isles (UIB)4	25,454	0.10	–0.10	0	±0
	For a Fairer World (PUM+J)	23,318	0.09	New	0	±0
	The Greens of Europe (LVdE)5	20,419	0.08	±0.00	0	±0
	Social Democratic Party (PSD)	20,126	0.08	New	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE)	20,030	0.08	+0.03	0	±0
	Citizens for Blank Votes (CenB)	14,193	0.06	–0.10	0	±0
	Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS)	14,023	0.05	±0.00	0	±0
	National Democracy (DN)	12,836	0.05	–0.01	0	±0
	The Greens–The Ecologist Alternative (EV–AE)	12,561	0.05	–0.07	0	±0
	Family and Life Party (PFyV)	9,882	0.04	–0.02	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	9,056	0.04	–0.04	0	±0
	Party of Almería (PdeAL)	8,451	0.03	New	0	±0
	Navarrese Cannabis Representation (RCN/NOK)	7,769	0.03	–0.04	0	±0
	Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party (POSI)	7,386	0.03	±0.00	0	±0
	Spanish Alternative (AES)	7,300	0.03	New	0	±0
	Spain 2000 (E–2000)	6,906	0.03	+0.01	0	±0
	Catalan Republican Party (RC)	6,746	0.03	New	0	±0
	Valencian Coalition (CVa)	5,424	0.02	New	0	±0
	Unsubmissive Seats–Alternative of Discontented Democrats (Ei–ADD)	5,035	0.02	+0.01	0	±0
	Commoners' Land (TC)	4,796	0.02	–0.01	0	±0
	Authentic Phalanx (FA)	4,607	0.02	±0.00	0	±0
	Leonese People's Union (UPL)	4,509	0.02	–0.03	0	±0
	Internationalist Solidarity and Self-Management (SAIn)	3,885	0.02	New	0	±0
	Engine and Sports Alternative (AMD)	3,829	0.01	New	0	±0
	Pensioners in Action Party (PDLPEA)	3,050	0.01	New	0	±0
	Republican Left (IR)	2,899	0.01	–0.06	0	±0
	Riojan Party (PR)	2,837	0.01	New	0	±0
	National Alliance (AN)	2,737	0.01	+0.01	0	±0
	Alternative in Blank (ABLA)	2,460	0.01	New	0	±0
	United Extremadura (EU)	2,346	0.01	–0.01	0	±0
	The Greens–Green Alternative (EV–AV)	2,028	0.01	±0.00	0	±0
	Carlist Party (PC)	1,956	0.01	±0.00	0	±0
	Party for Catalonia (PxCat)	1,919	0.01	New	0	±0
	Non-Smokers' Party (PNF)	1,616	0.01	New	0	±0
	Union for Leganés (ULEG)	1,566	0.01	New	0	±0
	Spanish Front (Frente)	1,539	0.01	New	0	±0
	Liberal Democratic Centre (CDL)	1,503	0.01	New	0	±0
	Valencian Nationalist Option (ONV)	1,490	0.01	New	0	±0
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	1,362	0.01	–0.12	0	±0
	Andecha Astur (AA)	1,299	0.01	±0.00	0	±0
	Regionalist Party of the Leonese Country (PREPAL)	1,278	0.00	–0.01	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Centre (CDEs)	1,047	0.00	New	0	±0
	Canarian Nationalist Alternative (ANC)	1,017	0.00	New	0	±0
	Civil Liberties Party (PLCI)	888	0.00	New	0	±0
	Unity (Unidá)	848	0.00	New	0	±0
	Liberal Party of State Employment and Housing (PLEVE)	786	0.00	New	0	±0
	Internationalist Struggle (LI (LIT–CI))	722	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Unity of the People (UP)	699	0.00	New	0	±0
	For the Valencian Republic (plRV)	645	0.00	New	0	±0
	Centrist Party (PCTR)	509	0.00	New	0	±0
	Movement for the Unity of the Canarian People (MUPC)	497	0.00	New	0	±0
	Aragon United Citizens Party (pCUA)	475	0.00	New	0	±0
	Citizens' Union–Independent Progressives of Canaries (UC–PIC)	464	0.00	New	0	±0
	Kingdom of Valencia Identity (IRV)	449	0.00	–0.01	0	±0
	Regionalist Unity of Castile and León (URCL)	423	0.00	New	0	±0
	State of Spain Unionist Party (PUEDE)	414	0.00	New	0	±0
	People of El Bierzo (PB–UB)	385	0.00	New	0	±0
	Islander Party of the Balearic Islands (PIIB)	360	0.00	New	0	±0
	Christian Positivist Party (PPCr)	300	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Carlist Traditionalist Communion (CTC)	218	0.00	New	0	±0
	Asturian Democratic Convergence (CDAS)	216	0.00	New	0	±0
	Merindades of Castile Initiative (IMC)	202	0.00	New	0	±0
	Castilian Unity (UdCa)	198	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	European Ibero-American Alliance Party (PAIE)	174	0.00	New	0	±0
	Workers for Democracy Coalition (TD)	159	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Regionalist Party of Guadalajara (PRGU)	152	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Balearic Alliance (ABA)	145	0.00	New	0	±0
	Electronic Voting Assembly (AVE)	144	0.00	New	0	±0
	Liberal Centrist Union (UCL)	124	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Alliance for Burgos (AxB)	123	0.00	New	0	±0
	Burgalese Citizen Initiative (ICBur)	109	0.00	New	0	±0
	We Are (N Som)	105	0.00	New	0	±0
	Independents for Cuenca (ixC)	100	0.00	New	0	±0
	Citizens' Group (AGRUCI)	79	0.00	New	0	±0
	Falangist Movement of Spain (MFE)	68	0.00	New	0	±0
	Aitch Party (PHache)	0	0.00	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		286,182	1.11	–0.47
Total		25,734,863			350	±0
Valid votes		25,734,863	99.36	+0.37
Invalid votes		165,576	0.64	–0.37
Votes cast / turnout		25,900,439	73.85	–1.81
Abstentions		9,172,740	26.15	+1.81
Registered voters		35,073,179
Sources[83][84]
Footnotes: 1 Canarian Coalition–Canarian Nationalist Party results are compared to the combined totals of Canarian Coalition and the Canarian Nationalist Party in the 2004 election. 2 Andalusian Coalition results are compared to the combined totals of Andalusian Party and Socialist Party of Andalusia in the 2004 election. 3 The Greens results are compared to The Eco-pacifist Greens totals in the 2004 election. 4 Unity for the Isles results are compared to the combined totals of Progressives for the Balearic Islands and Majorcan Union in the 2004 election. 5 The Greens of Europe results are compared to The Greens of the Community of Madrid totals in the 2004 election.

Popular vote PSOE   43.87% PP   39.94% IU   3.77% CiU   3.03% EAJ/PNV   1.19% UPyD   1.19% esquerra   1.16% BNG   0.83% CC–PNC   0.68% NaBai   0.24% Others   3.00% Blank ballots   1.11%

Seats PSOE   48.29% PP   44.00% CiU   2.86% EAJ/PNV   1.71% esquerra   0.86% IU   0.57% BNG   0.57% CC–PNC   0.57% UPyD   0.29% NaBai   0.29%

Senate

← Summary of the 9 March 2008 Senate of Spain election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	28,039,592	40.20	+2.28	101	–1
	Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE)1	25,965,221	37.22	+0.74	86	+5
	Catalan Agreement of Progress (PSC–ERC–ICV–EUiA)	5,280,590	7.57	–1.09	12	±0
	Convergence and Union (CiU)	2,437,338	3.49	–0.31	4	±0
	United Left (IU)2	2,015,249	2.89	–1.17	0	±0
	Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ/PNV)	903,072	1.29	–0.45	2	–4
	Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG)	726,317	1.04	–0.03	0	±0
	Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD)	691,695	0.99	New	0	±0
	Canarian Coalition–Canarian Nationalist Party (CC–PNC)3	302,729	0.43	–0.16	1	–2
	Andalusian Coalition (CA)4	229,917	0.33	–0.47	0	±0
	Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's)	200,242	0.29	New	0	±0
	Navarre Yes (NaBai)	183,873	0.26	+0.01	0	±0
	The Greens (Verdes)	181,253	0.26	+0.09	0	±0
	The Greens (Verdes)	162,124	0.23	+0.15	0	±0
	The Greens (EV–LV)5	19,129	0.03	–0.06	0	±0
	Basque Solidarity (EA)	143,294	0.21	–0.10	0	±0
	For a Fairer World (PUM+J)	133,678	0.19	New	0	±0
	Aragonese Party (PAR)	132,738	0.19	+0.01	0	±0
	Anti-Bullfighting Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA)	132,171	0.19	+0.10	0	±0
	The Greens–Green Group (LV–GV)	112,561	0.16	+0.13	0	±0
	Aragonese Union (CHA)	107,282	0.15	–0.17	0	±0
	Bloc–Initiative–Greens (Bloc–IdPV–EVEE)	92,588	0.13	–0.06	0	±0
	Aralar (Aralar)	75,476	0.11	–0.02	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE)	66,163	0.10	+0.03	0	±0
	New Canaries–Canarian Centre (NC–CCN)	65,248	0.09	New	0	±0
	The Greens–The Ecologist Alternative (EV–AE)	58,725	0.08	–0.20	0	±0
	The Greens of Europe (LVdE)6	50,067	0.07	+0.03	0	±0
	Unity for the Isles (UIB)7	45,972	0.07	–0.03	0	±0
	Catalan Republican Party (RC)	44,394	0.06	New	0	±0
	Carlist Traditionalist Communion (CTC)	44,050	0.06	+0.03	0	±0
	Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS)	42,112	0.06	±0.00	0	±0
	Family and Life Party (PFyV)	41,599	0.06	+0.01	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	38,437	0.06	–0.06	0	±0
	The Greens–Green Alternative (EV–AV)	33,776	0.05	+0.04	0	±0
	Social Democratic Party (PSD)	31,703	0.05	New	0	±0
	Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party (POSI)	28,197	0.04	–0.04	0	±0
	Republican Left of the Valencian Country (esquerra–PV)	28,089	0.04	+0.01	0	±0
	Party of Almería (PdeAL)	27,651	0.04	New	0	±0
	PSOE–Ibiza for Change (PSOE–ExC)8	26,513	0.04	+0.01	1	+1
	National Democracy (DN)	25,140	0.04	+0.01	0	±0
	Carlist Party (PC)	23,685	0.03	+0.02	0	±0
	Internationalist Solidarity and Self-Management (SAIn)	23,531	0.03	New	0	±0
	Pensioners in Action Party (PDLPEA)	22,141	0.03	New	0	±0
	Commoners' Land (TC)	21,995	0.03	–0.03	0	±0
	Spanish Alternative (AES)	21,570	0.03	New	0	±0
	Leonese People's Union (UPL)	21,227	0.03	–0.05	0	±0
	PSOE–Left of Menorca–PSM–Greens (PSOE–EU–PSM–Verds)9	21,023	0.03	±0.00	1	+1
	Nation and Revolution (NyR)	19,044	0.03	New	0	±0
	Republican Left (IR)	19,005	0.03	–0.01	0	±0
	Spain 2000 (E–2000)	17,897	0.03	+0.01	0	±0
	United Extremadura (EU)	15,110	0.02	–0.01	0	±0
	National Alliance (AN)	13,113	0.02	+0.02	0	±0
	Unsubmissive Seats–Alternative of Discontented Democrats (Ei–ADD)	12,149	0.02	+0.01	0	±0
	Alternative in Blank (ABLA)	11,974	0.02	New	0	±0
	Riojan Party (PR)	10,482	0.02	New	0	±0
	Spanish Front (Frente)	10,418	0.01	New	0	±0
	Valencian Coalition (CVa)	10,330	0.01	New	0	±0
	Liberal Democratic Centre (CDL)	10,057	0.01	New	0	±0
	Engine and Sports Alternative (AMD)	9,438	0.01	New	0	±0
	Navarrese Cannabis Representation (RCN/NOK)	8,234	0.01	–0.07	0	±0
	Internationalist Struggle (LI (LIT–CI))	8,224	0.01	–0.01	0	±0
	Valencian Nationalist Option (ONV)	7,159	0.01	New	0	±0
	Non-Smokers' Party (PNF)	7,000	0.01	New	0	±0
	Party for Catalonia (PxCat)	6,805	0.01	New	0	±0
	Spanish Catholic Movement (MCE)	6,234	0.01	New	0	±0
	Authentic Phalanx (FA)	5,213	0.01	–0.02	0	±0
	Commoners (comuner@s)	5,149	0.01	New	0	±0
	Canarian Nationalist Alternative (ANC)	4,988	0.01	New	0	±0
	Andecha Astur (AA)	4,964	0.01	±0.00	0	±0
	Regionalist Party of the Leonese Country (PREPAL)	4,851	0.01	±0.00	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Centre (CDEs)	4,522	0.01	New	0	±0
	Citizen Union for Democracy (UCiD)	3,999	0.01	New	0	±0
	Natural Culture (CN)	3,687	0.01	+0.01	0	±0
	Union for Leganés (ULEG)	3,096	0.00	New	0	±0
	Yuntar Action (AY)	3,000	0.00	–0.10	0	±0
	Unity (Unidá)	2,962	0.00	New	0	±0
	Citizens' Group (AGRUCI)	2,806	0.00	New	0	±0
	Regionalist Unity of Castile and León (URCL)	2,563	0.00	New	0	±0
	The Republic (La República)	2,517	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Citizens for Blank Votes (CenB)	2,507	0.00	–0.05	0	±0
	Unity of the People (UP)	2,350	0.00	New	0	±0
	Action for Justice (AXJ)	2,223	0.00	New	0	±0
	Kingdom of Valencia Identity (IRV)	2,087	0.00	–0.01	0	±0
	Aragon United Citizens Party (pCUA)	1,615	0.00	New	0	±0
	For the Valencian Republic (plRV)	1,485	0.00	New	0	±0
	People of El Bierzo (PB–UB)	1,417	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Socialist Party of the People of Ceuta (PSPC)	1,323	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Merindades of Castile Initiative (IMC)	1,311	0.00	New	0	±0
	Electronic Voting Assembly (AVE)	1,273	0.00	New	0	±0
	Cantabrian Party (Cántabro)	1,189	0.00	New	0	±0
	Independent Alternative of Galicia (AIdG)	1,150	0.00	New	0	±0
	Castilian Unity (UdCa)	942	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Aragonese Land (TA)	928	0.00	New	0	±0
	Asturian Democratic Convergence (CDAS)	925	0.00	New	0	±0
	25 May Citizens' Alternative (AC25M)	773	0.00	–0.01	0	±0
	Civil Liberties Party (PLCI)	712	0.00	New	0	±0
	Islander Party of the Balearic Islands (PIIB)	683	0.00	New	0	±0
	Regionalist Party of Guadalajara (PRGU)	656	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Movement for the Unity of the Canarian People (MUPC)	639	0.00	New	0	±0
	Christian Positivist Party (PPCr)	638	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Galician Identity (IG)	590	0.00	New	0	±0
	Citizens' Union–Independent Progressives of Canaries (UC–PIC)	494	0.00	New	0	±0
	Progress Party of Castile and León Cities (PPCCAL)	484	0.00	New	0	±0
	Spanish Democratic Front (FDE)	459	0.00	New	0	±0
	Alternative Island (ISAL)	449	0.00	New	0	±0
	Workers for Democracy Coalition (TD)	403	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Republican Castile (CARE)	400	0.00	New	0	±0
	Burgalese Citizen Initiative (ICBur)	379	0.00	New	0	±0
	Democratic and Social Centre (CDS)	341	0.00	–0.13	0	±0
	Independents for Cuenca (ixC)	309	0.00	New	0	±0
	Liberal Centrist Union (UCL)	235	0.00	±0.00	0	±0
	Falangist Movement of Spain (MFE)	218	0.00	New	0	±0
	Justice and Development Party of Spain (PJDE)	105	0.00	New	0	±0
Blank ballots[h]		524,750	2.06	–0.61
Total		69,753,316			208	±0
Valid votes		25,527,940	97.71	+0.62
Invalid votes		597,299	2.29	–0.62
Votes cast / turnout		26,125,239	74.49	–1.26
Abstentions		8,947,940	25.51	+1.26
Registered voters		35,073,179
Sources[18][83][84][85]
Footnotes: 1 Spanish Socialist Workers' Party results are compared to Spanish Socialist Workers' Party totals in the 2004 election, not including results in Fuerteventura and Menorca. 2 United Left results are compared to United Left totals in the 2004 election, not including results in Menorca. 3 Canarian Coalition–Canarian Nationalist Party results are compared to the combined totals of Canarian Coalition and the Canarian Nationalist Party in the 2004 election. 4 Andalusian Coalition results are compared to the combined totals of Andalusian Party and Socialist Party of Andalusia in the 2004 election. 5 The Greens results are compared to The Eco-pacifist Greens totals in the 2004 election. 6 The Greens of Europe results are compared to The Greens of the Community of Madrid totals in the 2004 election. 7 Unity for the Isles results are compared to the combined totals of Progressives for the Balearic Islands and Majorcan Union in Majorca in the 2004 election. 8 PSOE–Ibiza for Change results are compared to the combined totals of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and Progressives for the Balearic Islands in Ibiza–Formentera in the 2004 election. 9 PSOE–Left of Menorca–PSM–Greens results are compared to the combined totals of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party in Menorca, Socialist Party of Menorca–Nationalist Agreement and Left of Menorca in the 2004 election.

Popular vote PP   40.20% PSOE   37.22% ECdP   7.57% CiU   3.49% IU   2.89% EAJ/PNV   1.29% BNG   1.04% CC–PNC   0.43% PSOE–ExC   0.04% Pacte   0.03% Others   5.03% Blank ballots   2.06%

Seats PP   48.56% PSOE   41.35% ECdP   5.77% CiU   1.92% EAJ/PNV   0.96% CC–PNC   0.48% PSOE–ExC   0.48% Pacte   0.48%

Maps

• 
  Election results by constituency (Congress).
• 
  Vote winner strength by constituency (Congress).
• 
  Vote winner strength by autonomous community (Congress).

Aftermath

Government formation

Further information: Second government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

Investiture José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE)
Ballot →		9 April 2008	11 April 2008
Required majority →		176 out of 350 N	Simple Y
	Yes • PSOE (169) (168 on 9 Apr)	168 / 350	169 / 350
	No • PP (154) • ERC (3) • UPyD (1)	158 / 350	158 / 350
	Abstentions • CiU (10) • PNV (6) • IU–ICV (2) • BNG (2) • CC (2) • NaBai (1)	23 / 350	23 / 350
	Abstentees • PSOE (1) (on 9 Apr)	1 / 350	0 / 350
Sources[86]

Notes

1. Joaquín Calomarde, former PP legislator.^[20]
2. Francisco Javier Tuñón, appointed senator for Navarre (supported by UPN, PSN–PSOE, CDN and IUN).^[22]
3. The PSC–PSOE (8 senators), ERC (3 senators), ICV (1 senator) and EUiA (0 senators) contested the 2004 Senate election within the Entesa alliance.
4. Under this generic slogan, the party launched another thirteen interchangeable expressions:

   • Spanish: Por todo lo que merece la pena (English: "For all what matters")
   • Spanish: Comprometidos con la Igualdad (English: "Committed to Equality")
   • Spanish: Vivimos juntos, decidimos juntos (English: "We live together, we decide together")
   • Spanish: No es lo mismo (English: "Is not the same")
   • Spanish: Porque lo estamos consiguiendo (English: "Because we are getting it done")
   • Spanish: Somos más (English: "We are more")
   • Spanish: Soñar con los pies en la tierra (English: "Head in the clouds, feet on the ground")
   • Spanish: Por todo lo logrado (English: "For everything achieved")
   • Spanish: Por el pleno empleo (English: "For full employment")
   • Spanish: Porque no está todo hecho (English: "Because everything is not done")
   • Spanish: La octava potencia económica, la primera en derechos sociales (English: "Eight economic power, first in social rights")
   • Spanish: Ahora que avanzamos, por qué retroceder (English: "Now that we move forward, why going back?")
   • Spanish: Podemos llegar tan lejos como queramos (English: "We can reach as far as we want")
5. Denotes a main invitee attending the event.
6. Denotes a main invitee not attending the event, sending a surrogate in their place.
7. Economic debate.
8. The percentage of blank ballots is calculated over the official number of valid votes cast, irrespective of the total number of votes shown as a result of adding up the individual results for each party.