2003 Balearic regional election

The 2003 Balearic regional election was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Parliament of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. All 59 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

2003 Balearic regional election

25 May 2003
All 59 seats in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands 30 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	682,857 6.8%
Turnout	429,135 (62.8%) 5.3 pp
Leader Jaume Matas Francesc Antich Pilar Costa Party PP PSIB–PSOE Pacte+COP Leader since 17 June 1996 9 November 1998 1999 Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Ibiza Last election 28 seats, 44.0% 13 seats, 22.0% 7 seats, 4.9% Seats won 29 15 5 Seat change 1 2 2 Popular vote 190,562 104,614 16,811 Percentage 44.7% 24.5% 3.9% Swing 0.7 pp 2.5 pp 1.0 pp   Leader Pere Sampol Maria Antònia Munar Margalida Rosselló Party PSM–EN UM EU–EV Leader since 1991 1 July 1991 2002 Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Mallorca Last election 5 seats, 11.7% 3 seats, 7.3% 3 seats, 5.4% Seats won 4 3 2 Seat change 1 0 1 Popular vote 33,920 31,781 20,797 Percentage 8.0% 7.5% 4.9% Swing 3.7 pp 0.2 pp 0.5 pp   Leader Josep Mayans Serra Party AIPF Leader since 2003 Leader's seat Formentera Last election 0 seats, 0.3% Seats won 1 Seat change 1 Popular vote 1,647 Percentage 0.4% Swing 0.1 pp
Constituency results map for the Parliament of the Balearic Islands
President before election Francesc Antich PSIB–PSOE Elected President Jaume Matas PP

Overview

Electoral system

The Parliament of the Balearic Islands was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Balearic Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a President of the Government.[1] Voting for the Parliament was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Balearic Islands and in full enjoyment of their political rights.

The 59 members of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 5 percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera. Each constituency was allocated a fixed number of seats: 33 for Mallorca, 13 for Menorca, 12 for Ibiza and 1 for Formentera.[2]

The electoral law provided that parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors were allowed to present lists of candidates. However, groupings of electors were required to secure the signature of at least 1 percent of the electors registered in the constituency for which they sought election. Electors were barred from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to take part jointly at an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election being called.[2][3][4]

Election date

The term of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Parliament were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 13 June 1999, setting the election date for the Parliament on Sunday, 25 May 2003.[1][2][3][4]

The Parliament of the Balearic Islands could not be dissolved before the date of expiry of parliament except in the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a sixty-day period from the first ballot. In such a case, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a snap election called, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.[1]

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 given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 30 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout			PSM	UM		Pacte	COP	AIPF	EVIB	Lead
2003 regional election	25 May 2003	N/A	62.8	44.7 29	24.5 15	8.0 4	7.5 3	4.9 2	3.6 5	0.3 0	0.4 1	0.6 0	20.2
Sigma Dos/Antena 3[p 1]	25 May 2003	?	?	? 21/28	? 15/16	? 4/5	? 2/3	? 3	? 6/7	? 1	–	–	?
Vox Pública/El Periódico[p 2][p 3][p 4]	29 Apr 2003	808	?	40.0– 41.0 25/28	25.5– 26.5 15/16	8.5– 9.5 4/6	9.5– 10.5 4	5.0– 6.5 1/3	3.5– 4.5 5/6	0.3– 0.6 1	–	? 0/1	14.5
CIS[p 5][p 6]	22 Mar–28 Apr 2003	911	70.2	37.1 23	28.1 22	11.0 5	7.8 3	12.0 5	[lower-alpha 1]	[lower-alpha 1]	[lower-alpha 2]	–	9.0
CIS[p 7][p 8][p 9]	9 Sep–9 Oct 2002	447	73.1	41.8	22.7	11.6	7.2	6.2	[lower-alpha 1]	1.3	[lower-alpha 2]	8.4	19.1
2000 general election	12 Mar 2000	N/A	61.4	53.9	29.3	5.9	2.1	4.0	–	–	–	2.4	24.6
1999 regional election	13 Jun 1999	N/A	57.5	44.0 28	22.0 13	11.7 5	7.3 3	5.4 3	4.4 6	0.4 1	0.3 0	[lower-alpha 3]	22.0

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 25 May 2003 Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	190,562	44.70	+0.69	29	+1
	Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands (PSIB–PSOE)	104,614	24.54	+2.52	15	+2
	PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN)	33,920	7.95	–3.77	4	–1
	Socialist Party of Majorca–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN)	30,964	7.26	–3.57	3	–1
	Socialist Party of Menorca–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN)	2,956	0.69	–0.20	1	±0
	Majorcan Union (UM)	31,781	7.45	+0.14	3	±0
	United Left–The Greens (EU–EV)	20,797	4.88	–0.55	2	–1
	United Left of Mallorca–The Greens of Mallorca (EU–EV)	19,050	4.47	–0.30	2	±0
	Left of Menorca–United Left (EM–EU)	1,747	0.41	–0.25	0	–1
	Progressive Pact+Coalition of Progressive Organizations (Pacte+COP)	16,811	3.94	–0.91	5	–2
	Progressive Pact (Pacte)	15,513	3.64	–0.79	5	–1
	Coalition of Progressive Organizations (COP)	1,298	0.30	–0.12	0	–1
	Independent Social Group (ASI)	6,707	1.57	+0.92	0	±0
	Key of Mallorca (Clau)	3,030	0.71	New	0	±0
	The Greens (EV)	2,411	0.57	New	0	±0
	Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC)	1,667	0.39	+0.09	0	±0
	Independent Popular Council of Formentera (AIPF)	1,647	0.39	+0.07	1	+1
	Balearic Islands Renewal Party (PRIB)	1,162	0.27	New	0	±0
	Union of Centrists of Menorca (UCM)	1,129	0.26	New	0	±0
	Civic Union (UC)	751	0.18	–0.08	0	±0
	Menorcan Party (PMQ)	566	0.13	New	0	±0
	Workers for Democracy Coalition (TD)	438	0.10	–0.03	0	±0
	Citizens for Blank Votes (CenB)	416	0.10	New	0	±0
	European Green Group (GVE)	373	0.09	New	0	±0
	Renewal Party of Ibiza and Formentera (PREF)	335	0.08	New	0	±0
	Balearic People's Union (UPB)	130	0.03	–0.58	0	±0
Blank ballots		7,093	1.66	–0.20
Total		426,340			59	±0
Valid votes		426,340	99.35	+0.13
Invalid votes		2,795	0.65	–0.13
Votes cast / turnout		429,135	62.84	+5.34
Abstentions		253,722	37.16	–5.34
Registered voters		682,857
Sources[5][6][7]

Popular vote PP   44.70% PSIB–PSOE   24.54% PSM–EN   7.95% UM   7.45% EU–EV   4.88% Pacte+COP   3.94% ASI   1.57% AIPF   0.39% Others   2.91% Blank ballots   1.66%

Seats PP   49.15% PSIB–PSOE   25.42% Pacte+COP   8.47% PSM–EN   6.78% UM   5.08% EU–EV   3.39% AIPF   1.69%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency	PP		PSIB		PSM–EN		UM		EU–EV		Pacte		AIPF
	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S	%	S
Formentera													53.4	1
Ibiza	50.4	7									37.8	5
Mallorca	45.0	16	26.3	9	9.0	3	9.2	3	5.5	2
Menorca	39.1	6	37.3	6	8.1	1			4.8	−
Total	44.7	29	24.5	15	8.0	4	7.5	3	4.9	2	3.6	5	0.4	1
Sources[6][7]

Aftermath

Investiture Jaume Matas (PP)
Ballot →		26 June 2003
Required majority →		30 out of 59
	Yes • PP (29) • UM (3) • AIPF (1)	33 / 59
	No • PSIB (18) • EU–EV (4) • EN (3)	25 / 59
	Abstentions	0 / 59
	Absentees • PSM (1)	1 / 59
Sources[7]

See also

• Results breakdown of the 2003 Spanish local elections (Balearic Islands)

Notes

1. Within PSIB–PSOE.
2. Within PP.
3. Within EUIB.

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "El sondeo de Sigma Dos determina una lucha codo a codo entre populares y socialistas en Madrid". ABC Sevilla (in Spanish). 25 May 2003. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
2. "Comunidad de Baleares". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 5 May 2003. Archived from the original on 8 June 2003.
3. "Munar tendrá la clave en Baleares". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 6 May 2003.
4. "Ficha técnica". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 6 May 2003.
5. "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas, 2003. CA de las Islas Baleares (Estudio nº 2486. Marzo-Abril 2003)" (PDF). CIS (in Spanish). 17 May 2003.
6. "La guerra pasa factura electoral al PP". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 18 May 2003.
7. "Instituciones y autonomías, II. CA de las Islas Baleares (Estudio nº 2455. Septiembre-Octubre 2002)". CIS (in Spanish). 19 November 2002.
8. "El PP, partido más votado en diez Comunidades Autónomas" (PDF). El Mundo (in Spanish). 19 November 2002.
9. "El PP ganaría las autonómicas en diez Comunidades y el PSOE en cuatro, según el CIS". ABC (in Spanish). 20 November 2002.

Other

1. "Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands of 1983". Organic Law No. 2 of 25 February 1983. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2017.
2. "Balearic Islands Autonomous Community Electoral Law of 1986". Law No. 8 of 26 November 1986. Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 September 2017.
3. "General Electoral System Organic Law of 1985". Organic Law No. 5 of 19 June 1985. Official State Gazette (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2016.
4. "Representation of the people Institutional Act". www.juntaelectoralcentral.es. Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
5. "Parliament of the Balearic Islands elections, 1983-2003" (PDF). web.parlamentib.es (in Catalan). Electoral Commission of the Balearic Islands. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
6. "Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results, 25 May 2003" (PDF). www.juntaelectoralcentral.es (in Catalan). Electoral Commission of the Balearic Islands. 12 June 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
7. "Eleccions al Parlament de les Illes Balears i i Consells Insulars (1979 - 2019)". Historia Electoral.com (in Catalan). Retrieved 28 September 2017.