2019 Zaragoza municipal election

2019 Zaragoza municipal election
← 2015
26 May 2019
2023 →
All 31 seats in the City Council of Zaragoza
16 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered505,756 Increase 0.7%
Turnout332,813 (65.8%)
Increase 0.3 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Pilar Alegría Jorge Azcón Sara Fernández
Party PSOE PP Cs
Leader since 28 September 2018 1 February 2016 9 March 2019
Last election 6 seats, 18.7% 10 seats, 26.9% 4 seats, 12.3%
Seats won 10 8 6
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 2 Increase 2
Popular vote 92,823 73,065 60,552
Percentage 28.0% 22.0% 18.3%
Swing Increase 9.3 pp Decrease 4.9 pp Increase 6.0 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Pedro Santisteve Violeta Barba Julio Calvo
Party ZGZ Podemos–Equo Vox
Leader since 1 March 2015 8 February 2019 22 April 2019
Last election 9 seats, 24.6% Did not contest Did not contest
Seats won 3 2 2
Seat change Decrease 6 Increase 2 Increase 2
Popular vote 33,423 20,551 20,458
Percentage 10.1% 6.2% 6.2%
Swing Decrease 14.5 pp New party New party
Mayor before election

Pedro Santisteve
ZGZ

Elected mayor

Jorge Azcón
PP

A municipal election was held in Zaragoza on Sunday, 26 May 2019, to elect the 11th City Council of the municipality. All 31 seats in the City Council were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in twelve autonomous communities and local elections all across Spain, as well as the 2019 European Parliament election.

Overview

Under the 1978 Constitution, the governance of municipalities in Spain—part of the country's local government system—was centered on the figure of city councils (Spanish: ayuntamientos), local corporations with independent legal personality composed of a mayor, a government council and an elected legislative assembly.[1][2] In the case of Zaragoza, the top-tier administrative and governing body was the City Council of Zaragoza.[3]

Electoral system

Voting for local assemblies was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality of Zaragoza and in full enjoyment of their political rights (provided that they were not sentenced—by a final court ruling—to deprivation of the right to vote), 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.[2][4][5]

Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional voting system, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes (which included blank ballots) being applied in each municipality.[6] Each municipality constituted a multi-member constituency, entitled a number of seats based on the following scale:[7]

Population Councillors
<100 3
101–250 5
251–1,000 7
1,001–2,000 9
2,001–5,000 11
5,001–10,000 13
10,001–20,000 17
20,001–50,000 21
50,001–100,000 25
>100,001 +1 per each 100,000 inhabitants or fraction
+1 if total is an even number

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 legislative term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when required, by the designated substitutes.[8]

The mayor was indirectly elected by the local assembly.[2] A legal clause required candidates to earn the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee was to be determined by lot.[9]

Election date

The term of city councils in Spain expired four years after the date of their previous election, with election day being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years (as of 2026, this has been the year before a leap year). The election decree was required to be issued no later than the fifty-fifth day prior to the scheduled election date and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE).[10] The previous local elections were held on 24 May 2015, setting the date for election day on the fourth Sunday of May four years later, which was 26 May 2019.

Local councils could not be dissolved before the expiry of their term, except in cases of mismanagement that seriously harmed the public interest and implied a breach of constitutional obligations, in which case the Council of Ministers could—optionally—agree to call a by-election.[11]

Elections to local councils were officially called on 2 April 2019 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 26 May.[12]

Parties and candidates

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, alliances and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form an alliance 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. In the case of Zaragoza, as its population was between 300,001 and 1,000,000, at least 5,000 signatures were required.[13] Additionally, a balanced composition of men and women was required in the electoral lists, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition.[14]

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.
Vote % Seats
PP
List
 Jorge Azcón Conservatism
Christian democracy 		26.9% 10 No [15]
[16]
[17]
ZGZ
List
 Pedro Santisteve Localism
Left-wing populism
Participatory democracy 		24.6% 9 Yes [18]
[19]
PSOE
List
 Pilar Alegría Social democracy 18.7% 6 No [20]
Cs
List
 Sara Fernández Liberalism 12.3% 4 No [21]
CHA
List
 Carmelo Asensio Aragonese nationalism
Eco-socialism 		6.8% 2 No [22]
PAR
List
 María Elena Allué Regionalism
Centrism 		2.8% 0 No [23]
Podemos–
Equo
List
 Violeta Barba Left-wing populism
Direct democracy
Democratic socialism 		Contested
in alliance[a] 		No [24]
Vox
List
 Julio Calvo Right-wing populism
Ultranationalism
National conservatism 		Did not contest No [25]

Opinion polls

The tables below list opinion polling results 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.

Voting intention estimates

The table below lists weighted voting intention estimates. Refusals are generally excluded from the party vote percentages, while question wording and the treatment of "don't know" responses and those not intending to vote may vary between polling organisations. When available, seat projections determined by the polling organisations are displayed below (or in place of) the percentages in a smaller font; 16 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Zaragoza.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Results

← Summary of the 26 May 2019 City Council of Zaragoza election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 92,823 28.00 +9.33 10 +4
People's Party (PP) 73,065 22.04 −4.84 8 −2
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (Cs) 60,552 18.27 +5.99 6 +2
Zaragoza in Common: United Left–Let's Win Zaragoza–Anticapitalists (ZGZ) 33,423 10.08 −14.49 3 −6
We Can–Equo (Podemos–Equo) 20,551 6.20 New 2 +2
Vox (Vox) 20,458 6.17 New 2 +2
Aragonese Union (CHA) 15,311 4.62 −2.15 0 −2
Aragonese Party (PAR) 5,608 1.69 −1.13 0 ±0
Ñ Platform (PAÑ) 2,584 0.78 New 0 ±0
Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA) 2,079 0.63 −0.55 0 ±0
Giving More (Demos+) 782 0.24 New 0 ±0
Blank Seats (EB) 768 0.23 −1.13 0 ±0
Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) 229 0.07 New 0 ±0
Social Aragonese Movement (MAS) 219 0.07 New 0 ±0
Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE de las JONS) 212 0.06 New 0 ±0
Aragonese Land (TA) 188 0.06 New 0 ±0
Federation of Independents of Aragon (FIA) 184 0.06 −0.05 0 ±0
Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) 164 0.05 −0.23 0 ±0
Aragonese State (EAR) 160 0.05 −0.09 0 ±0
Blank ballots 2,112 0.64 −1.25
Total 331,472 31 ±0
Valid votes 331,472 99.60 +0.56
Invalid votes 1,342 0.40 −0.56
Votes cast / turnout 332,814 65.81 +0.28
Abstentions 172,942 34.19 −0.28
Registered voters 505,756
Sources[28][29][30]
Popular vote
PSOE
 
 28.00%
PP
 
 22.04%
Cs
 
 18.27%
ZGZ
 
 10.08%
Podemos–Equo
 
 6.20%
Vox
 
 6.17%
CHA
 
 4.62%
PAR
 
 1.69%
Others
 
 2.28%
Blank ballots
 
 0.64%
Seats
PSOE
 
 32.26%
PP
 
 25.81%
Cs
 
 19.35%
ZGZ
 
 9.68%
Vox
 
 6.45%
Podemos–Equo
 
 6.45%

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Ballot → 15 June 2019
Required majority → 16 out of 31
  • • PP (8)
  • • Cs (6)
  • • Vox (2)
16 / 31
 checkY
10 / 31
 ☒N
Fernando Rivarés (Podemos–Equo)
2 / 31
 ☒N
Abstentions/Blank ballots
3 / 31
Absentees
0 / 31
Sources[31]

Notes

  1. ^ Podemos and Equo contested the 2015 election within the ZGZ alliance.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah Within ZGZ.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Within Unidas Podemos.
  4. ^ a b c d Within PP.
  5. ^ a b Within IU.

References

Opinion poll sources
  1. ^ "El PSOE ganaría en Aragón y podría gobernar con soltura con la izquierda, según un sondeo". Hoy Aragón (in Spanish). 26 May 2019.
  2. ^ "El PSOE, primera fuerza política en los ayuntamientos de Zaragoza, Huesca y Teruel". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 26 May 2019.
  3. ^ "El PSOE se reforzaría en Valencia, Zaragoza y Sevilla pese al auge de Cs y la irrupción de Vox". Público (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
  4. ^ "La izquierda sería mayoritaria en Zaragoza con el PSOE como primera fuerza". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 20 May 2019.
  5. ^ "El PSOE lidera en Zaragoza". El País (in Spanish). 19 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Estimaciones de voto en Comunidades Autónomas y grandes ciudades (Estudio nº 3245. Marzo-abril 2019)". CIS (in Spanish). 9 May 2019.
  7. ^ "Macrobarómetro de abril 2019. Preelectoral elecciones al Parlamento Europeo, autonómicas y municipales 2019. Ficha técnica (Estudio nº 3245. Marzo-abril 2019)". CIS (in Spanish). 9 May 2019.
  8. ^ "ElectoPanel municipal (12A): muchas ciudades pendientes de un concejal". Electomanía (in Spanish). 12 April 2019.
  9. ^ "ElectoPanel municipales (4A): Madrid en Pie no consigue entrar en el Ayuntamiento". Electomanía (in Spanish). 4 April 2019.
  10. ^ "ElectoPanel Municipales (28M). Mayorías ajustadas en varias ciudades". Electomanía (in Spanish). 28 March 2019.
  11. ^ "ElectoPanel para municipales (21M): situación estable en la última semana". Electomanía (in Spanish). 21 March 2019.
  12. ^ "ElectoPanel grandes áreas metropolitanas 14M: la izquierda resiste en Valencia, Madrid se le escapa a Carmena". Electomanía (in Spanish). 14 March 2019.
  13. ^ "ElectoPanel municipal: distintas mayorías posibles y mucha igualdad en varias ciudades". Electomanía (in Spanish). 7 March 2019.
  14. ^ "El PP superaría por casi dos puntos a un PSOE en alza y ZEC se desplomaría". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 14 October 2018.
  15. ^ "C's se dispararía y tendría la llave para gobernar en Zaragoza, mientras que ZEC se quedaría como cuarta fuerza". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 23 April 2018.
  16. ^ "El PP más lejos de obtener la alcaldía de Zaragoza". AraInfo (in Spanish). 26 December 2017.
  17. ^ a b "Encuesta de Satisfacción de los servicios municipales de la ciudad de Zaragoza" (PDF). City Council of Zaragoza (in Spanish). 26 December 2017.
  18. ^ "ZARAGOZA. Sondeo Fundación DFA. Municipales. Diciembre 2017". Electográfica (in Spanish). 26 December 2017.
  19. ^ "ZEC se desplomaría frente a la fuerte subida del PSOE y Ciudadanos". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 3 December 2017.
  20. ^ "CAPITALES ARAGONESAS. Sondeo A+M. Municipales. Noviembre 2017". Electográfica (in Spanish). 3 December 2017.
  21. ^ "Encuesta de Satisfacción de los servicios municipales de la ciudad de Zaragoza. 2018" (PDF). City Council of Zaragoza (in Spanish). 9 November 2018.
Other
  1. ^ Constitution (1978), art. 140.
  2. ^ a b c LBRL (1985), art. 19.
  3. ^ LBRL (1985), arts. 121–132.
  4. ^ Constitution (1978), art. 13.
  5. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 2–3 & 176.
  6. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 163 & 180.
  7. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 179.
  8. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 46, 48 & 182.
  9. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 196.
  10. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 42 & 194.
  11. ^ LBRL (1985), art. 61.
  12. ^ Real Decreto 209/2019, de 1 de abril, por el que se convocan elecciones locales y a las Asambleas de Ceuta y Melilla para el 26 de mayo de 2019 (PDF) (Royal Decree 209/2019). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 1 April 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  13. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 44 & 187.
  14. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 44 bis.
  15. ^ V., J. L. (1 February 2016). "Eloy Suárez deja el Ayuntamiento". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Zaragoza. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  16. ^ S., A. (12 September 2017). "La cúpula del PP avala a Jorge Azcón como candidato a la alcaldía de Zaragoza". Hoy Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  17. ^ "Jorge Azcón será el candidato del Partido Popular para recuperar la alcaldía de Zaragoza". Hoy Aragón (in Spanish). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Santisteve se presentará a las primarias de ZEC para repetir de alcalde: "Cuatro años son pocos"". Hoy Aragón (in Spanish). 12 February 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  19. ^ López, Manuel (12 February 2019). "Santisteve gana las primarias de ZEC y tendrá a Luisa Broto como número 2". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  20. ^ "Pilar Alegría, proclamada candidata del PSOE a la Alcaldía por acuerdo unánime de la Comisión de Garantías". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Zaragoza. Europa Press. 28 September 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  21. ^ Orera, Esther (9 March 2019). "Sara Fernández, candidata de C's al Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza" (in Spanish). Zaragoza: Cadena SER. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  22. ^ "José Manuel Salvador será el número 1 de CHA a las Cortes por Teruel y María Luisa Romero aspirará a la alcaldía de la capital". Diario de Teruel (in Spanish). 8 October 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  23. ^ "Elena Allué será la candidata del PAR a la alcaldía de Zaragoza". El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). EFE. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  24. ^ "Violeta Barba gana las primarias de Podemos al Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza". elDiario.es (in Spanish). Zaragoza. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  25. ^ Fuentes, Mónica (22 April 2019). "Santiago Morón y Julio Calvo encabezan las listas de Vox a la DGA y a la Alcadía de Zaragoza". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 November 2025.
  26. ^ "Ayto. de Zaragoza. Sondeo GfK". Aragón TV (in Spanish). 26 May 2019.
  27. ^ "ARAGÓN. Elecciones municipales. Encuesta A+M para Heraldo. Abril 2018". Electográfica (in Spanish). 24 April 2018.
  28. ^ Lozano, Carles. "Elecciones municipales en Zaragoza (desde 1979)". Historia Electoral.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  29. ^ "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales" (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  30. ^ "Resolución de 17 de septiembre de 2019, de la Presidencia de la Junta Electoral Central, por la que se procede a la publicación del resumen de los resultados de las elecciones locales convocadas por Real Decreto 209/2019, de 1 de abril, y celebradas el 26 de mayo de 2019, según los datos que figuran en las actas de proclamación remitidas por cada una de las Juntas Electorales de Zona. Provincias: Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid, Zamora, Zaragoza, Ceuta y Melilla" (PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish) (235): 107354–107854. 30 September 2019. ISSN 0212-033X. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  31. ^ López, Manuel; Peribáñez, Christian (15 June 2019). "Jorge Azcón, nuevo alcalde de Zaragoza, llama a poner fin a la crispación". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 November 2025.

Bibliography

allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Zaragoza_City_Council_election