Spanish general election, 1979

Spanish general election, 1979

1977 ← 1 March 1979 → 1982

All 350 seats of the Congress of Deputies and 208 seats in the Senate 176 seats needed for a majority in the Congress of Deputies Turnout 68.04%   First party Second party Third party   Leader Adolfo Suárez Felipe González Santiago Carrillo Party Union of the Democratic Centre Spanish Socialist Workers' Party Communist Party of Spain Leader since 3 May 1977 13 October 1974 3 July 1960 Leader's seat Madrid Madrid Madrid Last election 166 seats, 34.44% 118 seats, 29.32% 19 seats, 9.33% Seats won 168 121 23 Seat change 2 3 4 Popular vote 6,268,593 5,469,813 1,938,487 Percentage 34.84% 30.40% 10.77% Swing 0.40% 1.08% 1.4%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Manuel Fraga Jordi Pujol i Soley Blas Piñar Party People's Alliance Convergence and Union National Union Leader since 23 September 1976 17 November 1974 1966 Leader's seat Madrid Barcelona Madrid Last election 16 seats, 8.21% 13 seats, 3.75% New party Seats won 10 8 1 Seat change 6 5 1 Popular vote 1,088,578 483,353 378,964 Percentage 6.05% 2.69% 2.11% Swing 2.16% 1.06% 2.11%

Most voted party in each province, PSOE (red) and UCD (blue). Every province is a multi-member district for the Congress

Prime Minister before election Adolfo Suárez Union of the Democratic Centre Elected Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez Union of the Democratic Centre

Evolution of popular vote in the Spanish General Elections from the democratic transition until 2008. Voter turnout is usually high.

General elections were held in Spain on 1 March 1979. The Union of the Democratic Centre remained the largest party, winning 168 of the 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 119 of the 218 seats in the Senate.

Results

Congress of Deputies

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Union of the Democratic Centre	6,268,593	34.84	168	+2
Spanish Socialist Workers' Party-Socialists' Party of Catalonia	5,469,813	30.40	121	+3
Communist Party of Spain-Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia	1,938,487	10.77	23	+4
Democratic Coalition	1,088,578	6.05	10	–6
Convergence and Union	483,353	2.69	8	New
National Union	378,964	2.11	1	New
Socialist Party of Andalusia – Andalusian Party	325,842	1.81	5	New
Basque Nationalist Party	296,597	1.65	7	–1
Party of Labour of Spain	192,798	1.07	0	New
Herri Batasuna	172,110	0.96	3	New
Socialist Workers' Party–Historical Branch	133,869	0.74	0	0
Organización Revolucionaria de los Trabajadores	127,517	0.71	0	New
Republican Left of Catalonia–National Front	123,452	0.69	1	0
Euskadiko Ezkerra	85,677	0.48	1	0
Communist Movement-Organización de Izquierda Comunista	84,856	0.47	0	New
Galician National Popular Bloc	60,889	0.34	0	0
Canarian People's Union	58,953	0.33	1	New
Left Bloc for National Liberation	56,582	0.31	0	New
Unidade Galega	55,555	0.31	0	New
Republican Left	55,384	0.31	0	New
Carlist Party	50,552	0.28	0	New
OCEBR-UCE	47,937	0.27	0	New
Workers' Communist Party	47,896	0.27	0	New
Aragonese Regional Party	38,042	0.21	1	New
Revolutionary Communist League	36,662	0.20	0	New
Union Foral Pais Vasco	34,108	0.19	0	New
Falange Española de las Jons Autentica	30,252	0.17	0	0
Coalition for Aragon	19,220	0.11	0	New
Nationalist Party of Castilla and Leon	16,016	0.09	0	New
Liberal Party	15,774	0.09	0	New
Valancian Regional Union	15,694	0.09	0	New
National Party of the Valencian Country	13,828	0.08	0	New
Navarre Left Union	10,970	0.06	0	0
Spanish Rural Party	10,324	0.06	0	New
Party of the Canarian Country	10,099	0.06	0	New
Socialists of Mallorca and Menorca	10,022	0.06	0	New
Syndicalist Party	9,777	0.05	0	New
Union for the Freedom of Expression	7,126	0.04	0	New
Estat Catala	6,328	0.04	0	New
Cantonal Party	6,290	0.03	0	New
Candidatura Indepeniente del Campo	6,115	0.03	0	New
Christian Social Democratic Party of Catalonia	4,976	0.03	0	0
Partido Proverista	4,939	0.03	0	0
Spanish Democratic Republican Action	4,826	0.03	0	New
Communist League	3,614	0.02	0	New
Conceyu Nacionalista Astur	3,049	0.02	0	New
Falange Española Autentica	2,736	0.02	0	New
Partido Independiente pro Politica Austera	2,409	0.01	0	New
Workers and Peasants Party	2,314	0.01	0	New
Independent Candidates	1,820	0.01	0	New
Falange Española Independiente–Unidad Falangista	1,188	0.01	0	New
Falange Española–Unidad Falangista	876	0.00	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	325,544	–	–	–
Total	18,259,192	100	350	0
Registered voters/turnout	26,836,490	68.04	–	–
Source: Ministry of the Interior

^a Of the 121 seats won by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), the PSOE won 104 and the PSC won 17.

^b Of the 23 seats won by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE) and the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC), the PCE won 15 and the PSUC won 8.

Senate

Party	Votes	%	Seats			+/–
			Elected	Regional	Total
Union of the Democratic Centre			118	1	119	+13
PSOE-PSC			71	3	74	+27
Basque Nationalist Party			8	2	10	+10
Convergence and Union			1	2	3	+3
Democratic Coalition			3	0	3	+3
Candidatura Progresista			1	0	1	+1
Herri Batasuna			1	0	1	+1
Republican Left of Catalonia			0	1	1	+1
Agrupacíon Per l'Entesa			1	0	1	+1
Independents			4	1	5	–9
Invalid/blank votes	513,445	–	–	–	–	–
Total	18,454,010	100	208	10	218	+16
Registered voters/turnout	26,836,490	68.8	–	–	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver