2011_Spanish_general_election

2011 Spanish general election

2011 Spanish general election

Add article description

The 2011 Spanish general election was held on Sunday, 20 November 2011, to elect the 10th Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies were up for election, as well as 208 of 266 seats in the Senate. An election had not been due until April 2012 at latest, but a call by Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero for a snap election five months ahead of schedule was announced on 29 July 2011. Zapatero would not be seeking a third term in office, and with political pressure mounting, a deteriorating economic situation and his political project exhausted, an early election was perceived as the only way out.[1][2]

Quick Facts All 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 208 (of 266) seats in the Senate 176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies, Registered ...

The election campaign was dominated by the effects of an ongoing financial crisis, high unemployment, a large public deficit and a soaring risk premium. Opinion polls had shown consistent leads for the opposition People's Party (PP) over the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), whose popularity had plummeted after Zapatero's U-turns in economic policy had forced him to adopt tough spending cuts and austerity measures. Massive anti-austerity protests had taken place in May 2011 under the form of the 15-M Movement, and in the local and regional elections held a few days later popular support for the PSOE fell dramatically. On 21 October, the armed organization ETA announced a permanent cessation of armed activity, turning the 2011 election into the first since the Spanish transition to democracy without ETA attacks.[3]

The election resulted in the PSOE being swept out from power in the worst defeat for a sitting government in Spain up until that time since 1982, losing 4.3 million votes and scoring its worst result in a general election ever since the first democratic election in 1977.[4] In contrast, PP's Mariano Rajoy won a record absolute majority in a landslide, being his party's best historic result as well as the second largest and, to date, last majority in Spanish democracy.[5] Also for the first time in a general election, the PSOE failed to come out on top in both Andalusia and Catalonia, with the nationalist Convergence and Union (CiU) emerging victorious in the later, whereas the abertzale left Amaiur achieved a major breakthrough in both the Basque Country and Navarre.[6] United Left (IU) experienced a turnaround of its electoral fortunes and saw its first remarkable increase in 15 years,[7] whereas centrist Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) exceeded all expectations with over one million votes, 5 seats and just 0.3% short of the 5% threshold required for being recognized a party parliamentary group in Congress.[8][9]

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.[10][11] 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. Amendments to the electoral law in 2011 required for Spaniards abroad to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote (Spanish: Voto rogado).[12]

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.[10][13] The use of the D'Hondt method might result in a higher effective threshold, depending on the district magnitude.[14]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:[15]

More information Seats, Constituencies ...

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.[10][13]

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. The previous election was held on 9 March 2008, which meant that the legislature's term would expire on 9 March 2012. The election decree was required to be published in the BOE no later than 14 February 2012, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the Cortes Generales on Sunday, 8 April 2012.[13]

The prime minister had the prerogative 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.[10] Barred this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections for the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of 2024 there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.

The Cortes Generales were officially dissolved on 27 September 2011 after the publication of the dissolution decree in the BOE, setting the election date for 20 November and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 13 December.[15]

Background

The 2008 general election had resulted in a victory for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, which nonetheless fell 7 seats short of an absolute majority. The Socialists had been re-elected on a full employment platform,[16] despite the Spanish economy showing signs of fatigue and economic slowdown after a decade of growth.[17] As a result, Zapatero was sworn in as prime minister for a second term in office in April 2008. Zapatero's second term would be dominated by the 2008–11 economic and financial crisis.

The effects of the economic crisis in Spain started to become apparent at the beginning of Zapatero's second term. The first measure adopted by the newly elected government to mitigate the economic slowdown was an injection of €10 billion into the Spanish economy, of which €6 billion were to fulfill a €400 tax reduction as part of the PSOE 2008 election pledges.[18] Over the next months the government was forced to lower its economic growth forecast for 2008 from 3.1% to 2.3%,[19] then to 1.6%.[20] The government also had to cope with a transport strike on 9–15 June, motivated by a rapid increase in oil prices.[21] Zapatero initially refused to publicly acknowledge the existence of the economic crisis, to which he referred as "intense temporary slowdown" or "economic weaknesses".[22][23] On 23 June 2008, Zapatero's cabinet adopted an "austerity plan" intended to save €250 million—consisting of a 70% reduction in the public job offer and a salary freeze for senior public servants—as well as financial stimulus measures—injection of €35 billion to SMEs and €2.5 billion annually until 2010 to improve the efficiency in the hotel sector—in order to soften the impact of job losses and rising oil prices,[24][25] with Zapatero finally acknowledging the crisis during an interview on 8 July.[26] Meanwhile, the Martinsa-Fadesa bankruptcy filling in July 2008 as a result of the Spanish property bubble bursting turned into Spain's biggest ever corporate default.[27]

Job destruction in Spain became increasingly noticeable: by August 2008 2.5 million were already unemployed, the highest figure in 10 years.[28] By December 2008, Spain would become the country with the highest job destruction rate in the world, with unemployment nearing 3 million.[29] In October 2008, the government announced a €100 billion guarantee for bank debts[30] and the creation of a €30 billion worth fund—extendable to €50 billion—to purchase 'healthy' assets from banks and savings banks "to ensure the Spanish market liquidity".[31] From November 2008 to January 2009, the government proposed a €50 billion stimulus plan—with €8 billion destined to public investment in municipalities—expected to create 300,000 jobs throughout 2009,[32][33] which was later criticised for its spending unsustainability and for creating "unproductive" jobs.[34] In Q4 2008 the Spanish economy officially went into recession after a GDP fall of 1.1%—having already fallen by 0.3% on Q3 2008—putting an end to 15 years of uninterrupted economic growth.[35]

On 28 March 2009, the Spanish government launched a €9 billion bailout to rescue Caja Castilla La Mancha, the first Spanish savings bank to be intervened during the crisis,[36] to be followed by CajaSur in 2010, the nationalization of CAM, Unnim, CatalunyaCaixa and Novagalicia Banco in 2011 and the intervention and nationalization of Banco de Valencia in 2011–12.[37] As part of the bank restructuring, the FROB was created in June 2009 to preside over the mergers and acquisitions of the failing savings banks.[38] In April 2009, Pedro Solbes was replaced as Spain's Economy and Finance minister by the low-profile Elena Salgado as part of a major cabinet reshuffle, in a move seen as Zapatero seeking to take more direct control of economic policy himself.[39]

By Q2 2009, unemployment had grown to 17.9%—more than 4 million unemployed—and the GDP had fallen by 4.2%.[40][41] This prompted Zapatero to announce on 28 August 2009 that the 2010 budget would include a "limited and temporary" tax increase worth €16 billion—dubbed by many as the largest tax rise in history—to tackle the revenue fall and spending increase resulting from the crisis.[42][43] Further measures, such as the suppression of the €400 tax reduction and a VAT increase from 16% to 18%—in its standard rate—and from 7% to 8%—in its reduced rate—were announced in the following weeks.[44] The end of 2009 would see unemployment climbing to 18.8%,[45] with public deficit soaring—11.4% of GDP—and forcing the government to approve on 29 January 2010 a €50 billion worth-savings plan for the 2010–13 period, cutting all public spending except for social benefits, welfare state policies and those involving a production model renewal.[46]

However, despite the government's efforts, the economic situation kept worsening. On 5 February, Spain's risk premium reached the 100 basis point-mark in a black week for Madrid Stock Exchange—with the IBEX 35 falling by 9.3%.[47] By early May 2010, unemployment had reached the 20% mark for the first time since the 1993 economic crisis,[48] while the crisis in Greece, threatening to engulf the remained of the eurozone, caused the risk premium to rise dramatically by 60% to 170 basis points and the Madrid Stock Exchange to fall by 10%.[49] As a result, Zapatero announced a €15 billion austerity package on 12 May aimed at preventing the country's default. Among the adopted measures were a cut of 5% in public wages, a pension freezing for 2011, cuts into dependency spending and the removal of the €2,500 birth allowance, among others.[50][51][52] Zapatero's U-turn, breaching a previous pledge not to cut social spending, caused his and the PSOE's popularity ratings to plummet in opinion polls.[53]

On 9 September 2010, the PSOE government approved a labor reform, which included suspension of collective agreements during economic downturns, a lower redundancy pay in cases of wrongful dismissal—from 45 to 33 days per year worked—or cheaper dismissals for companies facing losses, among others.[54] The reform, coupled with the cut in public wages and the pension freeze, provoked the Socialist government to face its first general strike on 29 September.[55] In order to tackle dropping poll numbers, a major cabinet reshuffle took place on 20 October, resulting in a number of ministries being disbanded and María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, who had served as Zapatero's deputy for most of his tenure, being replaced by interior minister Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba.[56][57] The risk premium kept growing and peaked at 270 basis points by the end of November.[58][59] Zapatero's government announced a new austerity package on 1 December—including the removal of a €426 allowance for long-term unemployed and the privatizations of AENA and the Lotteries—but also a tax cut for SMEs.[60] In the following weeks, Zapatero would also announce an increase of the retirement age from 65 to 67 to be applied "flexibly and progressively" until 2027.[61]

Parliamentary composition

The tables below show the composition of the parliamentary groups in both chambers at the time of dissolution.[62][63]

More information Congress of Deputies, Groups ...

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. Concurrently, parties, federations or coalitions that had not obtained a mandate in either chamber of the Cortes at the preceding election were required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of electors in the aforementioned constituencies.[13]

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

More information Candidacy, Parties and alliances ...

The Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) and United and Alternative Left (EUiA) continued their Catalan Senate alliance without ERC, under the Agreement for Catalonia Progress name.[79][80] Concurrently, the new green Equo party allied itself with PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN), Initiative Greens (IV) and Agreement for Majorca (ExM) in the Balearic Islands and with Sí Se Puede (SSP) and Socialists for Tenerife (SxTf) in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife constituency.[81][82][83]

Timetable

The key dates are listed below (all times are CET. The Canary Islands used WET (UTC+0) instead):[13][84]

  • 26 September: The election decree is issued with the countersign of the Prime Minister after deliberation in the Council of Ministers, ratified by the King.[15][85]
  • 27 September: 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.[85]
  • 30 September: Initial constitution of provincial and zone electoral commissions.
  • 7 October: Deadline for parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to inform the relevant electoral commission.
  • 17 October: Deadline for parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates to the relevant electoral commission.
  • 19 October: Submitted lists of candidates are provisionally published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
  • 22 October: Deadline for citizens entered in the Register of Absent Electors Residing Abroad (CERA) and for citizens temporarily absent from Spain to apply for voting.
  • 23 October: Deadline for parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors to rectify irregularities in their lists.
  • 24 October: Official proclamation of valid submitted lists of candidates.
  • 25 October: Proclaimed lists are published in the BOE.
  • 4 November: Official start of electoral campaigning.[15]
  • 10 November: Deadline to apply for postal voting.
  • 15 November: Official start of legal ban on electoral opinion polling publication, dissemination or reproduction and deadline for CERA citizens to vote by mail.
  • 16 November: Deadline for postal and temporarily absent voters to issue their votes.
  • 18 November: Last day of official electoral campaigning and deadline for CERA citizens to vote in a ballot box in the relevant consular office or division.[15]
  • 19 November: Official 24-hour ban on political campaigning prior to the general election (reflection day).
  • 20 November: 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.
  • 23 November: General counting of votes, including the counting of CERA votes.
  • 26 November: Deadline for the general counting of votes to be carried out by the relevant electoral commission.
  • 5 December: Deadline for elected members to be proclaimed by the relevant electoral commission.
  • 15 December: Deadline for both chambers of the Cortes Generales to be re-assembled (the election decree determines this date, which for the 2011 election was set for 13 December).[15]
  • 14 January: Maximum deadline for definitive results to be published in the BOE.

Campaign

Party slogans

More information Party or alliance, Original slogan ...

Election debates

More information Date, Organisers ...
Opinion polls
More information Debate, Polling firm/Commissioner ...

Opinion polls

Main article: Opinion polling for the 2011 Spanish general election
Local regression trend line of poll results from 9 March 2008 to 20 November 2011, with each line corresponding to a political party.

Results

Congress of Deputies

For results by autonomous community/constituency, see Results breakdown of the 2011 Spanish general election (Congress).
More information Parties and alliances, Popular vote ...
More information Popular vote ...
More information Seats ...

Senate

More information Parties and alliances, Popular vote ...
More information Popular vote ...
More information Seats ...

Outcome

With an overall voter turnout of 68.9%—the lowest in a decade—the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) suffered its worst ever defeat in a general election, while also scoring one of the worst electoral performances for a ruling party in Spain since the UCD collapse in the 1982 election. The People's Party (PP) was able to win an historic absolute majority with 186 out of 350 seats—the largest obtained by a party since 1982—after almost eight years in opposition. The PSOE went on to finish below first place in all but two provinces—Barcelona and Seville—while also losing both Andalusia and Catalonia, which up to that point had been carried by the PSOE in every general election. The 2011 Spanish election marked the continuation of a string of severe government election losses across European countries since the start of the 2007–08 financial crisis, including Iceland, Greece, Hungary, the United Kingdom, Ireland or Portugal.

Minoritary national parties, such as United Left (IU) and Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD), benefitted greatly from the PSOE collapse, winning 11 and 5 seats respectively—2 and 1 in the previous parliament. This was the first time since the 1989 election than more than one of the smaller nationwide-contesting parties obtained more than 1 million votes in a general election, as well as enough seats to form parliamentary groups on their own right. The PSOE collapse also resulted in nearly all parties winning parliamentary presence in the Congress of Deputies increasing their vote shares—only Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) and Geroa Bai (GBai) lost votes compared to 2008. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) lost 1 seat despite scoring higher than in 2008, but this came as a result of Amaiur's irruption, with 6 out of its 7 seats being elected in the Basque Country.

Convergence and Union (CiU), the party federation formed by Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) and Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC), was elected to an historic general election victory in the region of Catalonia. The Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), PSOE's sister party in the region—which had, up until that point, been the first Catalan political force in every general election held since 1977—scored a poor showing by finishing in second place with 27% of the vote. The 2011 election would be the last time both parties would dominate the Catalan political landscape in a general election; the next election, held on 20 December 2015, would see the alliance between CDC and UDC broken and the PSC being crushed to third place regionally by both the En Comú Podem alliance and ERC.

In terms of vote share, PSOE's electoral result, with 28.76%, would remain the worst electoral performance for a sitting Spanish government in a nationwide-held election since 1982 until the 2014 European Parliament election held two and a half years later, when the PP obtained 26.09% of the share, and in a general election until 2015—the PP obtaining 28.71%.

Aftermath

Further information: First government of Mariano Rajoy
More information Ballot →, 20 December 2011 ...

Notes

  1. Results for PP (39.94%, 154 deputies and 101 senators), PAR (0.16%, 0 seats) and EU (0.01%, 0 seats) in the 2008 election.
  2. Results for IU (3.77%, 2 deputies and 0 senators) and CHA (0.15%, 0 seats) in the 2008 election.
  3. Results for EA (0.20%, 0 seats) and Aralar (0.12%, 0 seats) in the 2008 election.
  4. 2 seats were vacant as a result of a lack of substitutes to replace the resigned Corina Porro (PP) and Cáceres Lino González (PSOE).
  5. PSOE legislators Artur Bagur and Margalida Font had been elected for the constituencies of Menorca and Ibiza within wider electoral alliances, and went into the Mixed Group as part of their election agreements.
  6. The PSC–PSOE (8 senators), ERC (3 senators), ICV (1 senator) and EUiA (0 senators) contested the 2008 Senate election within the Entesa alliance.
  7. Results for CC–PNC (0.68%, 2 deputies and 1 senator) and NC–CCN (0.15%, 0 seats) in the 2008 election.
  8. Results for NaBai in the 2008 election.
  9. Results for Bloc–IdPV–EVEE in the 2008 election.
  10. Denotes a main invitee attending the event.
  11. Denotes a main invitee not attending the event, sending a surrogate in their place.
  12. 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.

References

  1. [1]
    Garea, Fernando (29 July 2011). "Zapatero convoca el 20-N para que "otro Gobierno dé certidumbre"". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  2. [2]
    "Siete años de Gobierno de Zapatero" (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 29 July 2011. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. [3]
    Europa Press (11 November 2011). "El Gobierno resalta que son las primeras elecciones sin atentados de ETA". eldiario.es (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  4. [4]
    Fernández, Alberto (20 November 2011). "Rubalcaba bate la peor marca del PSOE en 30 años" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  5. [5]
    Hernanz, Miriam (20 November 2011). "Rajoy rompe el techo de Génova y logra la segunda mayoría más amplia de la democracia" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  6. [6]
    Martín Plaza, Ana (20 November 2011). "Rajoy logra para el PP una mayoría histórica con 186 diputados y el PSOE se hunde con 110" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  7. [7]
    Vallejo, Mario (20 November 2011). "IU multiplica sus diputados y sale de una "larga travesía del desierto" por el descalabro del PSOE" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  8. [8]
    Hernanz, Miriam (20 November 2011). "UPyD roza el grupo parlamentario al superar el millón de votos y obtener escaño por Valencia" (in Spanish). RTVE. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  9. [9]
    Rojo, Iratxe (20 November 2011). "El PP se lleva por delante al PSOE". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  10. [10]
    "Constitución Española". Constitution of 29 December 1978 (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  11. [11]
    "Constitución española, Sinopsis artículo 66". Congress of Deputies (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  12. [12]
    Reig Pellicer, Naiara (16 December 2015). "Spanish elections: Begging for the right to vote". cafebabel.co.uk. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  13. [13]
    "Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985 (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
  14. [14]
    Gallagher, Michael (30 July 2012). "Effective threshold in electoral systems". Trinity College, Dublin. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2017.
  15. [15]
    "Real Decreto 1329/2011, de 26 de septiembre, de disolución del Congreso de los Diputados y del Senado y de convocatoria de elecciones" (PDF). Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish) (232): 101835–101836. 27 September 2015. ISSN 0212-033X.
  16. [16]
    "El PSOE presenta los "motivos para creer" en su propuesta electoral". Público (in Spanish). 4 February 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  17. [17]
    "El PSOE ignora el deterioro económico y dice que estamos "mucho mejor" que hace cuatro años". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). 7 January 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  18. [18]
    "El Gobierno aprobará el viernes una inyección de 10.000 millones de euros". El Mundo (in Spanish). EFE. 13 April 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  19. [19]
    F. Quintero, Luis (6 May 2008). "El Gobierno dice que en 2009 se solucionará "el aumento del paro" y la "desaceleración"". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  20. [20]
    Jiménez, Miguel (25 July 2008). "El Gobierno se da de bruces con la crisis". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  21. [21]
    Bolaños, Alejandro (15 June 2008). "La huelga allana el camino a la crisis". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  22. [22]
    "Zapatero bautiza la crisis: "Desaceleración transitoria ahora más intensa"". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Agencias. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  23. [23]
    Lobo, José L. (14 May 2008). "Ni crisis, ni desaceleración: Zapatero habla ahora de "debilidades" económicas". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  24. [24]
    "Las 21 medidas del Gobierno contra la crisis". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 23 June 2008. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016.
  25. [25]
    "Zapatero promete reformas de fondo para afrontar la crisis". Cinco Días (in Spanish). 24 June 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  26. [26]
    "Zapatero menciona por primera vez la palabra crisis para referirse a la situación económica". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 8 July 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  27. [27]
    "Martinsa-Fadesa anuncia la mayor suspensión de pagos de la historia en España". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 14 July 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  28. [28]
    J. Alegre, M. (3 September 2008). "Dos millones y medio de parados en agosto, la cifra más alta en una década". Hoy (in Spanish). EFE. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  29. [29]
    Tejo, M.; Valverde, M. (3 December 2008). "España toca los 3 millones de parados y se convierte en el destructor de empleo mundial". Expansión (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  30. [30]
    "El Gobierno avalará con 100.000 millones la deuda de la banca". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 13 October 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  31. [31]
    Espiño, Isabel; González, Javier (7 October 2008). "El Gobierno creará un fondo de 30.000 millones para comprar activos 'sanos' de bancos y cajas". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  32. [32]
    Cruz, Marisa; Sánchez, Manuel (27 November 2008). "Zapatero inyecta 11.000 millones de euros a los ayuntamientos y al sector de la automoción". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  33. [33]
    "El Gobierno ha inyectado 50.000 millones con el Plan E, el 2% del PIB". Público (in Spanish). EFE. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  34. [34]
    Doncel, Luis (30 August 2009). "Mucho empleo, pero poco productivo". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  35. [35]
    "La recesión se instala en España tras 15 años de crecimiento ininterrumpido" (in Spanish). Finanzas.com. EFE. 12 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  36. [36]
    Moya, Elena (29 March 2009). "Spain launches a £8.4bn bailout to rescue a stricken savings bank". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  37. [37]
    Mars, Amanda (9 May 2012). "Parte de guerra: ocho entidades intervenidas o nacionalizadas en España". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  38. [38]
    Hugh, Edward (21 January 2010). "Spain Gets 'FROB'bed-Off by the EU Commission". Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  39. [39]
    "Spain's prime minister brings in a new finance minister". The Economist. Madrid. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  40. [40]
    "Paro Segundo Trimestre 2009" (in Spanish). finanzzas.com. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  41. [41]
    "El PIB cae un 4,2%, nuevo récord negativo de la economía española". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. 27 August 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  42. [42]
    Navas, José A. (28 August 2009). "Zapatero: la subida de impuestos será 'limitada y temporal'". El Mundo (in Spanish).
  43. [43]
    Rivero, Calixto (10 September 2009). "Zapatero lanza la mayor subida fiscal de la historia". Expansión (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  44. [44]
    "El Gobierno aumenta el IVA general al 18% y suprime la deducción de los 400 euros". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  45. [45]
    "El paro sube al 18,8% en 2009, su mayor nivel en 12 años". El Mundo (in Spanish). Agencias. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  46. [46]
    "El déficit público se dispara por encima de lo previsto con un 11,4%". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  47. [47]
    Doncel, Luis; Gastaca, Juan M. (6 February 2010). "El riesgo país vuelve a subir en la peor semana bursátil en 11 meses". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  48. [48]
    Doncel, Luis (1 May 2010). "El paro de larga duración se dispara tras dos años de crisis". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  49. [49]
    Doncel, Luis (7 May 2010). "España paga seis veces más que Alemania por los intereses de su deuda a dos años". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  50. [50]
    Cruz, Marisa (12 May 2010). "Zapatero rebaja el sueldo a los funcionarios por primera vez en la Historia". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  51. [51]
    G. Mayo, M. (12 May 2010). "Zapatero anuncia un recorte histórico del gasto social". Expansión (in Spanish). Agencias. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  52. [52]
    Garea, Fernando (13 May 2010). "Zapatero da un vuelco a su estrategia con un recorte de sueldos públicos sin precedentes". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  53. [53]
    Garea, Fernando (16 May 2010). "El recorte dispara la ventaja del PP". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  54. [54]
    Sanz de Miguel, Pablo (22 September 2010). "Government approves law proposing urgent labour market reform". Eurofound. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  55. [55]
    Abellán, Lucía (19 September 2010). "La reforma laboral se estrena en domingo". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  56. [56]
    "Zapatero remodela ampliamente su Gobierno". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  57. [57]
    Sánchez, Manuel; Cruz, Marisa (20 October 2010). "Zapatero pone su futuro en manos de Rubalcaba". El Mundo (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  58. [58]
    Fernández, David (28 November 2010). "Por qué no me fío de España". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  59. [59]
    Soriano, D. (29 November 2010). "Spain follows Ireland and Portugal: the risk premium marks a new record". Libertad Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  60. [60]
    Garea, Fernando (2 December 2010). "Zapatero concreta una bajada de impuestos y privatiza AENA y Loterías". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  61. [61]
    R. Aizpeolea, Luis (31 December 2010). "Zapatero anuncia la jubilación a los 67 años en 2027 y busca un pacto con Rajoy". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  62. [62]
    "Grupos Parlamentarios en el Congreso de los Diputados y el Senado". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  63. [63]
    "Composición del Senado 1977-2024". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 October 2022.
  64. [64]
    "Grupos parlamentarios". Congress of Deputies (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  65. [65]
    "Grupos Parlamentarios desde 1977". Senate of Spain (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  66. [66]
    "Rubalcaba será proclamado candidato el 9 de julio al no tener rival en primarias". El Mundo (in Spanish). 13 June 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  67. [67]
    "ELECCIONES GENERALES. 20 de noviembre de 2011. Coaliciones válidamente constituidas ante la Junta Electoral Central" (PDF). congreso.es (in Spanish). Congress of Deputies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  68. [68]
    "Coalición Extremeña apoya las listas del PSOE y añade a sus candidatos". ABC (in Spanish). 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  69. [69]
    "El PP aprueba la instauración de primarias para elegir a su líder" (in Spanish). RTVE. 20 June 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  70. [70]
    "PP y UPN acuerdan ir juntos a las elecciones tres años después de su ruptura". El País (in Spanish). 8 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  71. [71]
    "Rajoy sella la coalición PP-PAR en Aragón". El Mundo (in Spanish). 3 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  72. [72]
    "El Partido Progresista Majorero se alía con el PP "por el bien de los intereses de Fuerteventura"". Crónicas de Lanzarote (in Spanish). 8 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  73. [73]
    "PP y CCN acudirán conjuntamente a las elecciones en Canarias". 20 minutos (in Spanish). 10 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  74. [74]
    "Rajoy y Monago firmarán en Madrid el acuerdo de coalición del PP con Extremadura Unida" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 30 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  75. [75]
    "Duran se descarta como "muleta" de PP y PSOE". El País (in Spanish). 23 July 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  76. [76]
    "Cayo Lara, elegido candidato de IU a la Presidencia del Gobierno" (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  77. [77]
    "El nacionalismo canario se une de cara al 20-N". El País (in Spanish). 3 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  78. [78]
    "Barkos liderará el "espíritu" de NaBai el 20-N en la nueva coalición Geroa Bai". El País (in Spanish). 30 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  79. [79]
    "El PSC i ICV volen reeditar l'Entesa al Senat". Ara (in Catalan). 10 August 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  80. [80]
    "Desaparece la Entesa, el último vestigio del tripartito". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 19 September 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  81. [81]
    "EQUO negocia con Sí se Puede y Por Tenerife concurrir juntos el 20-N". eldia.es (in Spanish). 8 September 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  82. [82]
    "Equo presenta más de 80.000 firmas para presentarse en 43 provincias". El Mundo (in Spanish). 17 October 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  83. [83]
    "Equo realiza los anuncios más limpios de la campaña electoral". El Mundo (in Spanish). 10 November 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  84. [84]
    "Elecciones Generales 20 de noviembre 2011. Calendario Electoral" (PDF). www.juntaelectoralcentral.es (in Spanish). Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  85. [85]
    "Nuevo Gobierno a finales de diciembre". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. 26 September 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  86. [86]
    ""Pelea por lo que quieres", lema de campaña del PSOE" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  87. [87]
    "'Súmate al cambio', lema del Partido Popular para las elecciones del 20-N" (in Spanish). Cadena SER. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  88. [88]
    "Duran llama a "bombardear" las urnas con votos de CiU". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 4 November 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  89. [89]
    "Los carteles de Convergència y de Unió para las elecciones generales desde 1982". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 17 December 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  90. [90]
    "El PNV quiere ser la primera fuerza vasca en las Cortes Generales" (in Spanish). EiTB. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  91. [91]
    "Alfred Bosch: 'Volem la República del Sí'". esquerra.cat (in Catalan). Republican Left of Catalonia. 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016.
  92. [92]
    "IU anima a superar la "dicotomía" PP-PSOE con su lema "Rebélate!"". Público (in Spanish). 15 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  93. [93]
    "El BNG apela directamente al voto útil para las elecciones del 20 de noviembre". El Mundo (in Spanish). 28 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  94. [94]
    "Así será a campaña do Bloque para as eleccións xerais". Galicia Confidencial (in Galician). 28 October 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  95. [95]
    "Para UPyD, 'Cada voto vale' y luchará por conseguir la confianza de los ciudadanos" (in Spanish). Huelva24. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  96. [96]
    "Geroa Bai centra su programa electoral en la crisis y en defender "un nacionalismo cívico e institucional"" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 2 November 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  97. [97]
    "La heredera de Na-Bai". El Mundo (in Spanish). 28 October 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  98. [98]
    "'Más Asturias, Mejor España', lema de Foro Asturias para conseguir representación en Madrid en las elecciones generales" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  99. [99]
    "Amaiur o el 'puente' que aspira a conducir a la izquierda abertzale de nuevo al Congreso" (in Spanish). RTVE. 18 November 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  100. [100]
    "Som com tu. Comença la campanya a les generals". tavernes.compromis.net (in Spanish). Coalició Compromís. 4 November 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  101. [101]
    "El debate de Rajoy y Rubalcaba fue seguido por 12 millones de espectadores". El País (in Spanish). 8 November 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  102. [102]
    "El debate a cinco no interesó". El Mundo (in Spanish). 10 November 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  103. [103]
    "Rajoy gana el debate por la mínima". El País (in Spanish). 7 November 2011.
  104. [104]
    "Rubalcaba da por hecho que Rajoy ganará las elecciones". El Mundo (in Spanish). 8 November 2011.[permanent dead link]
  105. [105]
    "Un 43,9% opina que Rajoy ganó el debate". Antena 3 (in Spanish). 8 November 2011.
  106. [106]
    "Rubalcaba acorrala a Rajoy con su "programa oculto"". Público (in Spanish). 8 November 2011.
  107. [107]
    "Todos los sondeos dan como ganador al líder del PP". El Plural (in Spanish). 8 November 2011.
  108. [108]
    "Postelectoral Elecciones Generales 2011. Panel (2ª Fase)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  109. [109]
    "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  110. [110]
    "Elecciones Generales 20 de noviembre de 2011". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  111. [111]
    "Elecciones al Senado 2011". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  112. [112]
    "Congreso de los Diputados: Votaciones más importantes". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 September 2017.
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 2011_Spanish_general_election, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.