Navarrese regional election, 2007

Navarrese regional election, 2007

27 May 2007
All 50 seats in the Parliament of Navarre 26 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	471,647 1.5%
Turnout	347,851 (73.8%) 3.1 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Miguel Sanz Patxi Zabaleta Fernando Puras Party UPN NaBai PSN–PSOE Leader since 17 January 1995 16 September 2006 30 September 2006 Leader's seat Navarre Navarre Navarre Last election 23 seats, 41.5% 8 seats, 17.8% 11 seats, 22.5% Seats won 22 12 12 Seat change 1 4 1 Popular vote 139,122 77,893 74,157 Percentage 42.2% 23.6% 22.5% Swing 0.7 pp 5.8 pp 1.3 pp   Fourth party Fifth party   Leader Juan Cruz Allí Jon Erro Party CDN IUN/NEB Leader since 10 April 1995 February 2004 Leader's seat Navarre Navarre Last election 4 seats, 7.7% 4 seats, 8.8% Seats won 2 2 Seat change 2 2 Popular vote 14,418 14,337 Percentage 4.4% 4.3% Swing 3.3 pp 4.5 pp
President before election Miguel Sanz UPN Elected President Miguel Sanz UPN

The 2007 Navarrese regional election was held on Sunday, 27 May 2007, to elect the 8th Parliament of the Foral Community of Navarre. All 50 seats in the Parliament were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in 12 other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.

The ruling Navarrese People's Union — Democrats' Convergence of Navarre coalition lost the absolute majority it had enjoyed in the previous legislature, but Miguel Sanz was able to be re-elected President of Navarre for a fourth term thanks to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party backing down on the possibility of forming an alternative government with Nafarroa Bai and United Left.

Electoral system

The 50 members of the Parliament of Navarre were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with a threshold of 3 per 100 of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Parties not reaching the threshold were not taken into consideration for seat distribution.^[1][2] Voting was on the basis of universal suffrage, with all nationals over eighteen, registered in Navarre and in full enjoyment of all political rights entitled to vote.

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 at least the signature of 1 per 100 of the electors entered in electoral register of Navarre. 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 from the election call.^[1][3][4]

Elections were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The President of Navarre had the prerogative to dissolve the Parliament and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met—namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution under this procedure—. Additionally, the chamber was to be automatically dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a regional President within a thirty-day period from the first ballot. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.^[2][3]

Opinion polls

Vote

Poll results are listed in the table below in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first, and using the date the survey's fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. If such date is unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed in bold, and the background shaded in the leading party's colour. In the instance that there is a tie, then no figure is shaded. The lead column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the two parties with the highest figures. When a specific poll does not show a data figure for a party, the party's cell corresponding to that poll is shown empty.

Seat projections

Opinion polls showing seat projections are displayed in the table below. The highest seat figures in each polling survey have their background shaded in the leading party's colour. In the instance that there is a tie, then no figure is shaded. 26 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Parliament of Navarre.

Results

← Summary of the 27 May 2007 Parliament of Navarre election results →

Parties and coalitions		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Won	+/−
	Navarrese People's Union (UPN)	139,122	42.19	+0.71	22	–1
	Navarre Yes (NaBai)1	77,893	23.62	+5.80	12	+4
	Socialist Party of Navarre (PSN–PSOE)	74,157	22.49	+1.34	12	+1
	Democrats' Convergence of Navarre (CDN)	14,418	4.37	–3.28	2	–2
	United Left of Navarre (IUN/NEB)	14,337	4.35	–4.43	2	–2
	Navarrese Cannabis Representation (RCN/NOK)	4,707	1.43	New	0	±0
	Carlist Party (PC)	541	0.16	–0.17	0	±0
	Blank ballots	4,580	1.39	–0.99
Total		329,755	100.00		50	±0
Valid votes		329,755	94.80	+1.28
Invalid votes		18,096	5.20	–1.28
Votes cast / turnout		347,851	73.75	+3.05
Abstentions		123,796	26.25	–3.05
Registered voters		471,647
Source(s): Argos Information Portal, historiaelectoral.com
Notes: 1 Navarre Yes results are compared to the combined totals of Aralar, Basque Solidarity–Basque Nationalist Party and Assembly in the 2003 election.

Aftermath

Investiture

Investiture processes to elect the President of Navarre required for an absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—to be obtained in the first ballot. If unsuccessful, a new ballot would be held 24 hours later requiring only of a simple majority—more affirmative than negative votes—to succeed. If such majorities were not achieved, successive candidate proposals would be processed under the same procedure. In the event of the investiture process failing to elect a regional President within a thirty-day period from the first ballot, the Parliament would be automatically dissolved and a snap election called.^[2]

References