2019_Barcelona_City_Council_election

2019 Barcelona City Council election

2019 Barcelona City Council election

Municipal election in Barcelona, Spain


The 2019 Barcelona City Council election, also the 2019 Barcelona municipal election, was held on Sunday, 26 May 2019, to elect the 11th City Council of the municipality of Barcelona. All 41 seats in the City Council were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain, as well as the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain.

Quick Facts All 41 seats in the City Council of Barcelona 21 seats needed for a majority, Registered ...

The contest was won by Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), which under the leadership of Ernest Maragall—brother of former Barcelona mayor and president of the Government of Catalonia Pasqual Maragall with the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC)—came out on top in a municipal election in Barcelona for the first time in history, as a resurgent PSC drew votes away from incumbent mayor Ada Colau's Barcelona in Common (BComú). Colau was able to retain the mayorship through an BComú—PSC alliance that received the support of Barcelona for Change (BCN Canvi) councillors under Manuel Valls, the former prime minister of France, who after his failed run at the 2017 French presidential election was nominated by the liberal Citizens (Cs) to become their mayoral candidate in his city of birth. Valls's support of Colau's investiture was based on his stated intention to prevent the pro-Catalan independence camp from securing control over Catalonia's capital city.

Together for Catalonia (JxCat), the new brand of former Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) members who had openly embraced a Catalan independence ideology following the dissolution of the Convergence and Union (CiU) federation in June 2015, fell to fifth place to a record-low 10.5% of the vote under the leadership of Joaquim Forn, the former Interior minister who was at the time at preventive detention because of his involvement in the organization of the controversial 2017 Catalan independence referendum. Concurrently, support for the People's Party (PP) plummeted even further to its worst historical showing, barely passing the five percent threshold with 5.01%, whereas the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) was expelled from the city council altogether.

Electoral system

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

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

More information Population, Councillors ...

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

Council composition

The table below shows the composition of the political groups in the City Council at the time of dissolution.[3]

More information Groups, Parties ...

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

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

Campaign budget

More information Parties and alliances, Budget (self-reported) ...

According to a report from the Catalan newspaper Diari Ara, BCN Canvi–Cs candidate Manuel Valls would have received funds from a group of businessmen to prepare the campaign, that would have included a salary of €20,000 monthly for him.[18][19] Valls rejected those accusations and said all funds he received for the campaign were declared.[20]

Opinion polls

The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a poll. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 21 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Barcelona.

Color key:

  Poll conducted after legal ban on opinion polls

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

Results

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

Aftermath

More information Ballot →, 15 June 2019 ...

Notes

  1. In preventive detention in Lledoners (Barcelona) at the time of the election.
  2. Results for CiU in the 2015 election.
  3. Sònia Recasens, former UDC councillor.
  4. Gerard Ardanuy, former UDC councillor.[4]
  5. Juanjo Puigcorbé, former ERC councillor.[5]
  6. CDC was registered as an independent member within the alliance in order to allow its successor party, the PDeCAT, to be guaranteed CDC's public funding and electoral rights for the campaign.[7]
  7. Within JxCat.
  8. Within JxSí.

References

Opinion poll sources
  1. "Encuesta de última hora de las elecciones municipales en Barcelona: Empate entre Maragall y Colau". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 26 May 2019.
  2. "Colau llega a las elecciones dos puntos por delante de Maragall". El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Spanish). 25 May 2019.
  3. "Colau atrapa a Maragall a dos días de las elecciones". El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Spanish). 24 May 2019.
  4. "#emojiPanel Ayto Barcelona (24M)". Electomanía (in Spanish). 24 May 2019.
  5. "#emojiPanel Ayto de Barcelona (23M)". Electomanía (in Spanish). 23 May 2019.
  6. "Colau reduce a un punto su distancia con Maragall". El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Spanish). 23 May 2019.
  7. "#emojiPanel Ayto de Barcelona (22M)". Electomanía (in Spanish). 22 May 2019.
  8. "Maragall y Colau vuelven a empatar y el PSC pierde fuelle". El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Spanish). 22 May 2019.
  9. "Maragall recupera terreno en su pulso con Colau en Barcelona". El Periòdic d'Andorra (in Spanish). 21 May 2019.
  10. "#emojiPanel Ayto Barcelona (21M)". Electomanía (in Spanish). 21 May 2019.
  11. "Encuesta GIPEyOP: Europeas y Locales 2019". GIPEyOP (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
  12. "#emojiPanel Ayuntamiento de Barcelona (20M)". Electomanía (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
  13. "Ayuntamiento de Barcelona. Encuesta NC Report mayo 2019" (PDF). La Razón (in Spanish). 19 May 2019.
  14. "#electoPanel Ayto Barcelona (14M): suben ERC y Colau". Electomanía (in Spanish). 14 May 2019.
  15. "El independentismo se quedaría la ciudad de Barcelona". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 18 May 2019.
  16. "Ernest Maragall podría gobernar Barcelona con comodidad". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 23 February 2018.
  17. "Maragall llevaría a ERC a ganar la alcaldía de Barcelona". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 16 December 2018.
  18. "Colau pierde fuelle pero volvería a ganar". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 20 May 2018.
  19. "ERC ganaría hoy las elecciones municipales en Barcelona". Crónica Global (in Spanish). 13 May 2018.
  20. "El independentismo castiga a Colau". La Razón (in Spanish). 19 November 2017.
  21. "BARCELONA. Sondeo NC Report. Municipales. Noviembre 2017". Electograph (in Spanish). 19 November 2017.
  22. "Colau ganaría otra vez las municipales con ERC como segunda fuerza". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 28 May 2017.
  23. "Colau ganaría las municipales otra vez con ERC como principal rival". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 28 May 2017.
  24. "PP y C's ganarían hoy en el Ayuntamiento de Madrid". La Razón (in Spanish). 25 August 2015.
  25. "Encuesta agosto 2015" (PDF). La Razón (in Spanish). 25 August 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
Other
  1. "Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local". Law No. 7 of 2 April 1985 (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  2. "Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985 (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  3. "Eleccions municipals a Barcelona (1979 - 2019)". Historia Electoral.com (in Catalan). Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. Peinado, Mònica (24 March 2017). "Gerard Ardanuy abandona el grup de Xavier Trias a l'Ajuntament de Barcelona". Cadena SER (in Catalan). Barcelona. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  5. Sust, Toni (28 June 2018). "Puigcorbé anuncia que deja el grupo de ERC y sigue de concejal no adscrito". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  6. "Ada Colau anuncia que concurrirá a las primarias para ser la alcaldable de BComú". El Confidencial (in Spanish). Barcelona. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  7. "El Govern se plantea una remodelación amplia". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 16 March 2019. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  8. Sust, Toni (23 January 2019). "Joaquim Forn anuncia su candidatura a la alcaldía de Barcelona". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  9. Reino, Cristian (25 September 2018). "Manuel Valls será candidato independiente a la alcaldía de Barcelona". El Correo (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  10. Segura, Cristian (3 April 2019). "Manuel Valls registra su propio partido". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  11. Blanchar, Clara; Noguer, Miquel (20 September 2018). "Ernest Maragall será el candidato de Esquerra a la alcaldía de Barcelona". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  12. "Ernest Maragall, proclamado candidato de ERC para la alcaldía de Barcelona". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 27 October 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  13. Catà, Josep (9 January 2019). "Collboni repetirá como candidato a Barcelona". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  14. "Units per Avançar concurrirá a las municipales de Barcelona en coalición con el PSC". El Mundo (in Spanish). Barcelona. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  15. "Josep Bou será el candidato del PP al Ayuntamiento de Barcelona". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  16. "Anna Saliente, candidata a alcaldesa de Barcelona por la CUP". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. EFE. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  17. "BComú i PSC, els dos partits que més han gastat en la campanya electoral de Barcelona". Tot Barcelona (in Catalan). 24 May 2019. Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
  18. Font Manté, Alex; Pruna, Gerard; Mascaró, Anna; Martín, Albert (2019-06-13). "Operació Manuel Valls: així es va finançar la seva campanya". Diari Ara (in Catalan). Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  19. Nadau, Louis (2019-06-14). "Manuel Valls aurait touché 20.000 euros par mois comme candidat à la mairie de Barcelone". Marianne (in French). Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  20. "Valls nega haver cobrat 20.000 euros al mes i assegura que no té patrimoni". Tot Barcelona (in Catalan). 2019-06-30. Archived from the original on 2019-08-23. Retrieved 2019-08-23.
  21. "Electoral Results Consultation. Congress. April 2019. Barcelona Municipality". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  22. "Electoral results. Parliament of Catalonia election 2017. Barcelona (Municipality)". Government of Catalonia (in Catalan). Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  23. "Electoral Results Consultation. Congress. June 2016. Barcelona Municipality". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  24. "Electoral Results Consultation. Congress. December 2015. Barcelona Municipality". Ministry of the Interior (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  25. "Electoral results. Parliament of Catalonia election 2015. Barcelona (Municipality)". Government of Catalonia (in Catalan). Retrieved 13 July 2020.

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