1999 Balearic regional election

1999 Balearic regional election
13 June 1999
All 59 seats in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands
30 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered639,398 Increase 7.5%
Turnout367,683 (57.5%)
Decrease 6.1 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Jaume Matas Francesc Antich Pilar Costa
Party PP PSIB–PSOE Pacte+COP
Leader since 17 June 1996 9 November 1998 21 March 1999
Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Ibiza
Last election 30 seats, 44.8% 12 seats, 21.3%[a] 5 seats, 4.1%[b]
Seats won 28 13 7
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 1 Increase 2
Popular vote 160,545 80,327 17,697
Percentage 44.0% 22.0% 4.9%
Swing Decrease 0.8 pp Increase 0.7 pp Increase 0.8 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Pere Sampol Maria Antònia Munar Eberhard Grosske
Party PSM–EN UM EU–EV
Leader since 1991 1 July 1991 1991
Leader's seat Mallorca Mallorca Mallorca
Last election 6 seats, 12.0%[c] 2 seats, 5.3% 3 seats, 8.6%[d]
Seats won 5 3 3
Seat change Decrease 1 Increase 1 Steady 0
Popular vote 42,748 26,682 19,793
Percentage 11.7% 7.3% 5.4%
Swing Decrease 0.3 pp Increase 2.0 pp Decrease 3.2 pp
Constituency results map for the Parliament of the Balearic Islands
President before election

Jaume Matas
PP

 President after election

Francesc Antich
PSOE

A regional election was held in the Balearic Islands on 13 June 1999 to elect the 5th Parliament of the autonomous community. All 59 seats in the Parliament were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all across Spain, as well as the 1999 European Parliament election.

The government resulting from the previous election proved unstable after Gabriel Cañellas, the regional president since 1983, was forced to resign—over the Sóller case an alleged illegal financing scheme of the regional People's Party (PP)—one month into his fourth term in July 1995,[1][2] being replaced in the post by party colleague Cristòfol Soler.[3] However, growing tensions between Soler and Cañellas prompted the former's resignation in May 1996,[4] resulting in the election of Jaume Matas as new president and in an internal crisis within the regional PP.[5][6]

Overview

Under the 1983 Statute of Autonomy, the Parliament of the Balearic Islands was the unicameral legislature of the homonymous autonomous community, having legislative power in devolved matters, as well as the ability to grant or withdraw confidence from a regional president.[7] The electoral and procedural rules were supplemented by national law provisions.[8]

Date

The term of the Parliament of the Balearic Islands expired four years after the date of its previous ordinary election, with election day being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years, but a 1998 amendment allowed for regional elections held in May 1995 to be held concurrently with European Parliament elections, provided that they were scheduled for within a four month-timespan. The election decree was required to be issued no later than 54 days before the scheduled election date and published on the following day in the Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (BOIB).[9] The previous election was held on 28 May 1995, setting the date for election day concurrently with that year's European Parliament election on 13 June 1999.

The Parliament of the Balearic Islands could not be dissolved before the expiration date of parliament, except in the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a 60-day period from the Parliament's reconvening. In such a case, the chamber was to be automatically dissolved and a snap election called, with elected lawmakers serving the remainder of its original four-year term.[10]

The election to the Parliament of the Balearic Islands was officially called on 20 April 1999 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOIB, setting election day for 13 June.[11]

Electoral system

Voting for the Parliament was based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age, registered in the Balearic Islands and with full political rights, provided that they had not been deprived of the right to vote by a final sentence, nor were legally incapacitated.[12]

The Parliament of the Balearic Islands had 59 seats. All were elected in four multi-member constituencies—corresponding to the islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, each of which was assigned a fixed number of seats—using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with a five percent-threshold of valid votes (including blank ballots) in each constituency.[13]

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Parliament constituency was entitled the following seats:[14]

Seats Constituencies
33 Mallorca
13 Menorca
12 Ibiza
1 Formentera

The law did not provide for by-elections to fill vacant seats; instead, any vacancies arising after the proclamation of candidates and during the legislative term were filled by the next candidates on the party lists or, when required, by designated substitutes.[15]

Outgoing parliament

The table below shows the composition of the parliamentary groups in the chamber at the time of the election call.[16]

Parliamentary composition in April 1999
Groups Parties Legislators
Seats Total
People's Parliamentary Group PP 29 30
AIPF 1
Socialist Parliamentary Group PSIB–PSOE 16 16
PSM–EN Parliamentary Group PSM 5 6
PSMe 1
United Left–The Greens Parliamentary Group EUIB 3 3
Mixed Parliamentary Group UM 2 4
EV 1
INDEP 1[e]

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 were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within 10 days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list.[18]

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

Candidacy Parties and
alliances		 Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Ref.
Vote % Seats
PP
List
 Jaume Matas Conservatism
Christian democracy		 44.8% 30 Yes [19]
[20]
PSIB–PSOE Francesc Antich Social democracy
21.3%
[a]		 12 No [21]
PSM–EN Pere Sampol Left-wing nationalism
Democratic socialism
Environmentalism
12.0%
[c]		 6 No
Pacte+COP Pilar Costa Progressivism
4.1%
[b]		 5 No [22]
[23]
EU–EV Eberhard Grosske Socialism
Communism
8.6%
[d]		 3 No
UM
List
 Maria Antònia Munar Regionalism
Liberalism		 5.3% 2 No
AIPF José Mayans Serra Conservatism 0.3% 1 No

Campaign

Debates

1999 Balearic regional election debates
Date Organizer(s) Moderator(s)     P  Present[h]  
PP PSIB Audience Ref.
7 June Sa Nostra Gaspar Sabater P
Matas		 P
Antich		 — [24]
[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; 30 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of the Balearic Islands.

Results

Overall

← Summary of the 13 June 1999 Parliament of the Balearic Islands election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
People's Party (PP) 160,54544.01−0.76 28−2
Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands (PSIB–PSOE)1 80,32722.02+0.77 13+1
PSM–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN) 42,74811.72−0.33 5−1
Socialist Party of Mallorca–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN) 39,50910.83−0.15 4−1
Socialist Party of Menorca–Nationalist Agreement (PSM–EN) 3,2390.89−0.18 1±0
Majorcan Union (UM) 26,6827.31+1.99 3+1
United Left–The Greens (EU–EV) 19,7935.43−3.14 3±0
United Left of Mallorca–The Greens of Mallorca (EU–EV)2 17,4034.77−3.02 2±0
Left of Menorca–United Left (EM–EU)3 2,3900.66−0.12 1±0
Progressive Pact+Coalition of Progressive Organizations (Pacte+COP) 17,6974.85+0.77 7+2
Progressive Pact (Pacte)4 16,1614.43+0.66 6+1
Coalition of Progressive Organizations (COP)5 1,5360.42+0.11 1+1
Independent Social Group (ASI) 2,3680.65+0.27 0±0
Balearic People's Coalition–Balearic People's Union (CPB–UPB) 2,2190.61New 0±0
Independent Popular Council of Formentera (AIPF) 1,1830.32±0.00 0−1
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) 1,1060.30−0.18 0±0
Pityusic Civic Union (UCP) 9540.26New 0±0
Alternative Left of the Balearic Islands (EAIB) 6750.19New 0±0
The Greens–Green Group (LV–GV) 6430.18New 0±0
Social Democrats for Progress (SDP) 6410.18New 0±0
Workers for Democracy Coalition (TD)6 4730.13+0.04 0±0
Blank ballots 6,7771.86+0.50
Total 364,831 59±0
Valid votes 364,83199.22−0.15
Invalid votes 2,8520.78+0.15
Votes cast / turnout 367,68357.50−6.06
Abstentions 271,71542.50+6.06
Registered voters 639,398
Sources[16][26][27]
Footnotes:
Popular vote
PP
 
 44.01%
PSIB–PSOE
 
 22.02%
PSM–EN
 
 11.72%
UM
 
 7.31%
EU–EV
 
 5.43%
Pacte+COP
 
 4.85%
Others
 
 2.81%
Blank ballots
 
 1.86%
Seats
PP
 
 47.46%
PSIB–PSOE
 
 22.03%
Pacte+COP
 
 11.86%
PSM–EN
 
 8.47%
UM
 
 5.08%
EU–EV
 
 5.08%

Distribution by constituency

Constituency PP PSIB PSM–EN UM EU–EV Pacte COP
% S % S % S % S % S % S % S
Formentera 55.6 1
Ibiza 47.1 6 46.3 6
Mallorca 44.5 16 23.1 8 13.4 4 9.1 3 5.9 2
Menorca 40.3 6 37.9 5 9.8 1 7.3 1
Total 44.0 28 22.0 13 11.7 5 7.3 3 5.4 3 4.4 6 0.4 1
Sources[16][26][27]

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Nomination of Francesc Antich (PSIB)
Ballot → 23 July 1999
Required majority → 30 out of 59 check
Yes
31 / 59
No
  • • PP (28)
28 / 59
Abstentions
0 / 59
Absentees
0 / 59
Sources[16][28]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Results for PSIB–PSOE in the 1995 election, not including Formentera and Ibiza.
  2. 1 2 Results for PSIB–PSOE in Formentera and Ibiza (2.7%, 4 seats), EV in Ibiza (0.6%, 1 seat), IU in Formentera and Ibiza (0.5%, 0 seats), ERC in Ibiza and ENE (0.2%, 0 seats) in the 1995 election.
  3. 1 2 Results for PSM–NM (11.0%, 5 seats) and PSM–NI (1.1%, 1 seat) in the 1995 election.
  4. 1 2 Results for IU and EVIB in the 1995 election, not including Formentera and Ibiza.
  5. ↑ Joana Aina Vidal, former PP legislator.[17]
  6. 1 2 3 In Ibiza and Formentera.
  7. ↑ In Ibiza.
  8. ↑ Denotes a main invitee attending the event.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Within EUIB.
  10. 1 2 3 Within PP.

References

Opinion poll sources

  1. ↑ "El desgaste del tiempo en el poder y el caso Cañellas hacen bajar al PP". ABC (in Spanish). 7 June 1999.
  2. ↑ "Peligra la mayoría absoluta de Matas en Baleares". El País (in Spanish). 7 June 1999.
  3. ↑ "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas y municipales, 1999. Islas Baleares (Estudio nº 2328. Mayo 1999)". CIS (in Spanish). 4 June 1999.
  4. ↑ "Estudio CIS nº 2328. Ficha técnica". CIS (in Spanish). 4 June 1999.
  5. ↑ "Bono e Ibarra repiten y el PSOE recuperará Asturias". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 June 1999.
  6. ↑ "Baleares: peligra la mayoría del PP". El Mundo (in Spanish). 23 May 1999.
  7. ↑ "ELECCIONES 13-J/BALANCE DE LAS ENCUESTAS". El Mundo (in Spanish). 6 June 1999.

Other

  1. ↑ Manresa, Andreu (16 July 1995). "Cañellas dimite, pero desafía a Aznar". El País (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  2. ↑ Domblás, Nekane (20 July 2025). "El día que Aznar cambió la historia de Balears". Última Hora (in Spanish). Palma. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  3. ↑ "Cristòfol Soler será el nuevo presidente del gobierno balear, asegurando la continuidad del "cañellismo"" (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca: Servimedia. 19 July 1995. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Manresa, Andreu (29 May 1996). "Cañellas da un golpe de mano y derroca a Soler, su sucesor al frente del Gobierno balear". El País (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Manresa, Andreu (3 June 1996). "La dimisión de Soler pone en peligro la mayoría del PP en Baleares". El País (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  6. ↑ Manresa, Andreu (15 June 1996). "Matas, elegido presidente de Baleares por mayoría absoluta, sin el voto de Marí". El País (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Statute (1983), arts. 19 & 26–28 (am. by Statute (1999), art. 1).
  8. ↑ LEIB (1986), final prov. 1.
  9. ↑ Statute (1983), art. 20; LEIB (1986), art. 11 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), art. 42 & add. prov. 5).
  10. ↑ Statute (1983), arts. 19 & 30 (am. by Statute (1999), art. 1); LRJAIB (1984), art. 6.
  11. ↑ Decree 41/1999 (1999), art. 1.
  12. ↑ Statute (1983), arts. 20–22; LEIB (1986), art. 2 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), arts. 2–3).
  13. ↑ Statute (1983), art. 20 (am. by Statute (1999), art. 1); LEIB (1986), art. 12.
  14. ↑ LEIB (1986), art. 12; Decree 41/1999 (1999), art. 1.
  15. ↑ LEIB (1986), art. 13 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), arts. 46 & 48).
  16. 1 2 3 4 Lozano, Carles. "Eleccions al Parlament de les Illes Balears i Consells Insulars (desde 1979)". Historia Electoral.com (in Catalan). Retrieved 31 October 2025.
  17. ↑ "Ultimátum de Soler y los dos diputados rebeldes del PP para que destituyan a Cañellas como presidente del grupo parlamentario" (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca: Servimedia. 19 November 1996. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  18. ↑ LEIB (1986), art. 16 (suppl. by LOREG (1985), art. 44).
  19. ↑ Manresa, Andreu (30 May 1996). "El PP de Baleares se somete al control de Cañellas y ratifica a Matas". El País (in Spanish). Palma de Mallorca. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  20. ↑ Mestre, Juan (13 December 1998). "Matas: «No me pidáis frases brillantes, dadme confianza y os traeré resultados»". Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Díez, Anabel (28 June 1998). "Los candidatos oficialistas ganan las primarias". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  22. ↑ Alcántara, Concha (22 March 1999). "La izquierda cierra el pacto y hace oficial la candidatura de Pilar Costa al Consell". Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  23. ↑ Cembrero, Ignacio; Manresa, Andreu (4 April 1999). "El PSOE y cuatro partidos nacionalistas y de izquierda emulan en Ibiza al Olivo de Italia". El País (in Spanish). Madrid / Palma de Mallorca. Retrieved 27 July 2026.
  24. ↑ Mestre, Juan (9 June 1999). "Antich se destapó en su "cara a cara" con Matas". Periódico de Ibiza (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  25. ↑ Torres Blasco, Juan (14 May 2007). "Matas y Antich han optado tres veces a presidir el Govern y sólo han debatido una vez". Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  26. 1 2 "Resultats electorals a les Illes Balears (1983-2003)" (PDF) (in Catalan). Electoral Commission of the Balearic Islands. Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Elecciones al Parlamento de las Illes Balears" (PDF). Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (in Spanish) (83): 9633–9634. 29 June 1999. ISSN 2254-1233. Retrieved 26 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Mestre, Juan (24 July 1999). "El Parlament elige a Antich president del Govern tras un duro debate con Matas". Última Hora (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 July 2026.

Bibliography

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