Spanish general election, 1996

The Spanish Parliament elections of 1996 were held on March 3, 1996. It was an early elections to the parliament, the Cortes Generales, the two chambers of the Congreso de los Deputies ( House of Representatives) and Senado (Senate ) is. The Legislative is the politically far more important of the two chambers. With the elections the 6th legislative term began after the end of Franco's dictatorship.

• 4.1 Initial situation
• 4.2 negotiations 4.2.1 PP and CC
• 4.2.2 PP and CiU
• 4.2.3 PP and PNV

Premature end of the fifth legislature

The Socialist PSOE had 1982, 1986 and 1989 as a result retracted under Felipe González three times the absolute majority in the Congreso ( relevant for the formation of a government chamber ). In 1993, she was still emerged as the strongest party, but was dependent on their government majority in the sequence on the support of the Catalan and Basque regional parties CiU and PNV.

In the 5th legislature became more frequent corruption scandals, the economy faltered and added still came the affair of the " state terrorism " the GAL. As a result of these developments, the PSOE suffered in the regional elections, which in May 1995 in 13 of the 17 regions (Spanish: " Comunidades Autónomas " ) took place, a devastating defeat.

This eventually leads to the CiU in July 1995, the PSOE cancels their support and new elections after the end of the Spanish Presidency of the EU at the end of calls, which are then scheduled for March 3, 1996. The top candidates for the two major parties were the same as those already in the elections of 1989 and 1993. The - in his own party no longer undisputed - Prime Minister Felipe González, the PSOE and José María Aznar of the conservative PP It was generally assumed a clear electoral victory of the PP.

Congreso ( House of Representatives)

The PP, however, was with the albeit strongest force that targeted absolute majority of seats in the Legislative elections they missed quite clearly, so now they had to find alliance partners ( see below). The losses of the PSOE fell due to their good results in Catalonia and their traditional strongholds of Andalusia and Extremadura lower than expected. However, they remained, for example, in the "red " Asturias for the first time in its history behind the Conservatives.

The third force after the two major parties which are also in total An incoming Spain left socialist IU moved into the Congreso. Most of the regional parties that were already represented in the previous Parliament, in Congreso, the re-entry succeeded: from Catalonia civil CiU and the left ERC, from the Basque country of bourgeois PNV, the Social Democratic EA and Herri Batasuna (the " political wing " of the ETA, whose deputies but as previously boycotted the meetings ), the CC of the Canary Islands and the Unio Valenciana from the Valencia region. New features this year was the BNG ( Bloque Nacionalista Galego ) from Galicia.

Results

• Eligible voters: 32,531,833
• Turnout: 77.38 % ( 0.94 % compared to 1993)

← Spanish parliamentary elections, March 3, 1996 →

Senado (Senate )

The Senate is composed of directly elected by the people, members and other senators of the parliaments of the individual regions (Spanish: Comunidades Autónomas) are determined together. The direct election is held simultaneously with the elections of the deputies of the Legislative. The number of indirectly elected senators depends on the population of each region (one plus another per 1 million inhabitants).

In the 6th legislature, the Senate consisted of 257 members: 208 directly elected and 49 delegates of the regional parliaments.

The direct election takes place in constituencies that are consistent with the provinces (except for the Balearic and Canary Islands, where constituency the individual islands ). In the provincial constituencies respectively - regardless of the population - elected four senators, each voter votes awarded three people and each party may nominate three candidates. The supporters of a party will rule in its votes to three candidates, " his" party. This usually means that the three candidates of the strongest party in the province received more votes than the best-placed candidate of the second largest party. In the vast majority of cases, therefore, will provide one for the province's largest party three senators and the second largest party. In the 1996 elections was the case in all provinces. Consequently, there is a form of majority voting.

The composition of the delegates of the regional parliaments senators may change during the legislative change ( if during the term of new regional parliaments are elected ), so only the composition of the Senate is played at the beginning of the legislature in March 1996 in the following:

← composition Senate, March 1996 →

Government formation

Starting position

For the formation of a government after the Spanish Constitution only the Congreso is relevant: it selects the Prime Minister (Article 99), but it is the government responsible ( Art. 108).

The starting point for the formation of a stable government was difficult after the elections. Strongest party was the PP, but with the standing in their camp regional parties CC and UV they only came to 161 seats. The left (PSOE, IU and the regional parties EA, ERC and BNG) counted 166 seats. A re- edition of the alliance of the fifth legislature (PSOE, CiU and PNV ) could only count to 162 deputies. None of these " natural configurations " thus won an absolute majority of 176 seats.

It should be mentioned that the Spanish party system is based not only on the usual left-right axis, but not on another, which affects the attitude on the question of autonomy of the regions ( from one extreme of the central government to at least in the Basque Country and Catalonia to place other 's independence from the " Castilian " Spain ). In the Basque Country and Catalonia, where the autonomy movements are strongest, this led to the expression of his own party landscapes: Insist on the left next to the total Spanish parties PSOE and IU left nationalist (ERC in Catalonia, EA in the Basque Country ), on the right next to the PP -bourgeois nationalist ( CiU in Catalonia, PNV in the Basque Country ).

Did the PP (Traditional opponents of greater autonomy of the regions ) after 13 years of PSOE government provide now the Prime Minister, so she had this understanding with the regional parties ( in the Spanish language, " nationalists " ) seeking the PNV and CiU. This turned out to be more complicated than it was not just moderately dealt in anticipation of a safe majority in the election campaign with the nationalists now required as allies.

Because of the election results to form a government against the PP was virtually eliminated. However, there were CiU and PNV fierce intraparty opposition to support the PP. Initially, the CiU therefore tried to win for the PSOE to abstain together in the second round of the election as prime minister in the Congreso ( which will be held open). Since the second ballot, a simple majority is sufficient, the PP candidate Aznar had so alone can be selected by a vote of his party as head of government without the CiU 16 MPs publicly "yes" would have to be right.

Negotiations

Since the Socialists but refused, both the PP and the nationalists had no choice than in negotiations on toleration agreement ( " pactos de Legislatura " ) enter to prevent new elections. Thus, the PP started bilateral discussions with CC, CiU and PNV (all of their respective regional governments led at that time) on. Main parties were on the part of the Conservative Aznar himself, who later Economics and Finance Rodrigo Rato and the future Interior Minister Jaime Mayor Oreja. For the CiU, the negotiations were largely from the Catalan Jordi Pujol Prime Minister and determines the Group Chairman Joaquim Molins, for the PNV from the party leader Xabier Arzalluz and the Group Chairman Iñaki Anasagasti and for the CC from the Canary Islands Government Chief Manuel Hermoso. The talks were predominantly the ratio of the general government to the regions whose skills and financing. Total Spanish subjects played virtually no role.

PP and CC

At least problematic is designed negotiations with the Canary " nationalists " that have already been completed in early April. Key points of the agreement were the conclusion of which started in 1992 the process of reform of the Canarian autonomy (regional constitution, which requires the consent of the Cortes Generales ), the establishment of the state of the Canary Islands as a " region with the outermost regions " within the EU in the negotiations on the Treaty of Amsterdam and the further development of the requirements for the Canaries because of their insularity special tax rules. In addition, the PP said that the level of infrastructure investment of the new central government on the islands is at least the Spanish average per capita.

PP and CiU

Much more difficult and lengthy, the talks with the Catalan CiU designed.

Main point of negotiation was to improve the financing of the regions. Quite early in the course of the negotiations it was agreed in principle, this to increase the proportion of the Regions on the collected within their respective territories income tax from 15% to 30%. However, difficulties arose in the detailed issues of this reform: Without corrective mechanisms, this would richer to a preference, tax- strong regions ( eg. Catalonia ) ( were some of them, such as Galicia ruled by the PP) for poorer out, it turned so the question of whether and how a " financial compensation ". Another problem arose from the fact that the Spanish regions ( in contrast to the German federal states ) do not all have the same skills and therefore do not have a comparable financial needs. About its own police force, for example, possessed ( and have to date) only Catalonia, the Basque Country and Navarre. Even the most financially intensive education and healthcare facilities in 1996 were not yet transferred in all regions on this. Concluding answers to these questions could not be found. The final document of the negotiations is limited to the basics.

The final version of toleration Agreement was after two months of negotiations determined until the end of April and was approved on April 28 by the internal party bodies of the CiU. Other key points of the Convention were: abolition of the institution of the civil governor ( " Gobernador Civil" - representatives of the Madrid central government and head of the state administration in the provinces with the rank of political appointees ), the transfer of responsibility for active labor market policies and seaports (but not for the airports, as required by the CiU ) to the regions, the abolition of conscription until 2001, the participation of representatives of the regions in the Spanish EU negotiating teams and the transfer of responsibility for the road traffic police in Catalonia, the regional government Generalitat.

PP and PNV

Still a little longer ( until 30 April ), the negotiations with the Basque nationalists went their way.

Mathematically, the consent of the PNV five MPs next CiU and CC to the government takeover was not necessary. However, there was an interest to bind the PNV as the main nationalist party in the Basque Country by concessions to the new government just for the designated Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Basque PP Mayor Oreja. Otherwise, it was feared that the PNV would approximate radical nationalist parties. This would have made much more difficult to pacify the situation in the Basque Country trials of the new government.

The PNV went with a catalog of 43 after the Basque Statute of Autonomy of 1979 nor by the central government to the Basque country to be transferred competences ( " traspasos pendientes " ) in the negotiations. Among them, however, the Social Security Administration, the total Spanish unit checkout ( " caja única " ) Aznar was about for non-negotiable said.

The final document ultimately was limited in this respect to its commitment to bring the remaining delegations of authority in this legislative end. In addition, a further development of the " Concierto Económico " (system, which regulates the financial relations between the Basque country and the central government ), etc. agreed by the acquisition of excise duties on alcohol, tobacco and fuel thereinto and an extension of the Basque normative competences on income tax. More points of the Convention was the guarantee of the central government to finance the " Basque Pact for Training" and the commitment of the return of confiscated during the Franco dictatorship assets of the PNV.

Election of the Prime Minister

After this two-month negotiation process Aznar was elected on 4 May 1996, the 181 voices of PP, CiU, PNV and CC, with one abstention ( Unio Valenciana ) and 166 votes against ( PSOE, IU, BNG, ERC and EA) by the House as Prime Minister. The members of the new cabinet were all provided by the PP because it Tolerierungs and did not act in the agreements with the nationalists only to the coalition agreement.