Catalan Parliament election, 2006

Infobox Election
election_name = Catalan Parliament election, 2006
country = Catalonia
type = parliamentary
ongoing = no
party_colour = no
previous_election = Catalan Parliament election, 2003
previous_year = 2003
next_election = Catalan Parliament election, 2010
next_year = 2010
seats_for_election = All 135 seats in the Parliament
election_date = 1 November 2006

colour1 = DDA0DD
nominee1 =
leader1 = Artur Mas i Gavarró
leader_since1 =
party1 = Convergence and Union
home_state1 =
leaders_seat1 =
running_mate1 =
last_election1 = 46
seats_needed1 =
electoral_vote1 =
states_carried1 =
seats1 = 48
seat_change1 = +2
popular_vote1 = 935,756
percentage1 = 31.5%
swing1 =

colour2 = FF0000
nominee2 =
leader2 = José Montilla i Aguilera
leader_since2 =
party2 = Socialists' Party of Catalonia
home_state2 =
leaders_seat2 =
running_mate2 =
last_election2 = 42
seats_needed2 =
electoral_vote2 =
states_carried2 =
seats2 = 37
seat_change2 = -5
popular_vote2 = 796,173
percentage2 = 26.8%
swing2 =

colour3 = FF8000
nominee3 =
leader3 = Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira
leader_since3 =
party3 = Republican Left of Catalonia
home_state3 =
leaders_seat3 =
running_mate3 =
last_election3 = 23
seats_needed3 =
electoral_vote3 =
states_carried3 =
seats3 = 21
seat_change3 = -2
popular_vote3 = 416,355
percentage3 = 14.0%
swing3 =

colour4 = 1E90FF
nominee4 =
leader4 = Josep Piqué i Camps
leader_since4 =
party4 = People's Party of Catalonia
home_state4 =
leaders_seat4 =
running_mate4 =
last_election4 = 15
seats_needed4 =
electoral_vote4 =
states_carried4 =
seats4 = 14
seat_change4 = -1
popular_vote4 = 316,222
percentage4 = 10.7%
swing4 =

colour5 = 00FF00
nominee5 =
leader5 = Joan Saura i Laporta
leader_since5 =
party5 = Initiative for Catalonia Greens - United and Alternative Left
home_state5 =
leaders_seat5 =
running_mate5 =
last_election5 = 9
seats_needed5 =
electoral_vote5 =
states_carried5 =
seats5 = 12
seat_change5 = +3
popular_vote5 = 282,693
percentage5 = 9.5%
swing5 =

colour6 = 800000
nominee6 =
leader6 = Albert Rivera Díaz
leader_since6 =
party6 = Citizens – Party of the Citizenry
home_state6 =
leaders_seat6 =
running_mate6 =
last_election6 = new party
seats_needed6 =
electoral_vote6 =
states_carried6 =
seats6 = 3
seat_change6 = +3
popular_vote6 = 89,840
percentage6 = 3.0%
swing6 =

poll1_date =
poll1_source =
poll1_nominee1 =
poll1_party1 =
poll2_date =
poll2_source =
poll2_nominee1 =
poll2_party1 =
poll1_date =
poll1_source =
poll1_nominee2 =
poll1_party2 =
poll2_date =
poll2_source =
poll2_nominee2 =
poll2_party2 =
map_

---

map_size = 350px
map_caption = Graphic of the results in the Catalan Parliament election, 2006, based in a percentages and seats.
title = President of the
Generalitat de Catalunya
before_election = Pasqual Maragall i Mira
before_colour = FF0000
after_election = José Montilla i Aguilera
after_colour = FF0000
before_party = Socialists' Party of Catalonia
after_party = Socialists' Party of Catalonia

Elections to the Parliament of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia, Spain, were held on November 1 2006.

Background

The November 2006 Catalan parliament election was an early one (the original election date was due for the Fall of 2007, roughly one year after the actual early election took place). This was mostly a result of the uneasy and controversial redaction of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia amended text, which has further expanded the authority of the Catalan Government ever since it was passed in June 2006.

The Statute amendment was approved in a referendum on June 18 2006 in which 73.24% of voters were in favour of the new Statute, 20.57% of the votes were against. This referendum was noted for its huge abstention: only 48.85% of the electorate participated in it.

Since the 2003 elections a coalition of three left-wing parties, PSC, ERC and ICV-EUiA had been in power, with Pasqual Maragall i Mira as President. However, in May 2006 ERC, following internal tensions, left the coalition due to its disagreement on the final draft of the Statute of Autonomy which themselves had partially redacted, thus leaving Maragall without a majority and forcing him to call for this early election. On June 21 2006 Maragall announced his intention to personally step down at the upcoming election, arguably due to the political erosion his government had suffered after an uneasy relationship with ERC.

Besides the issue of Catalan nationalism, the main issues of the campaign were taxes, social security, housing and immigration.

Unlike the previous 2003 elections, when CiU achieved a plurality of seats in the autonomous Parliament but did not get the highest number of votes (PSC achieved a narrow lead in votes, the discrepancy between votes number and seats being explained by the electoral law) in this occasion CiU won the elections both in seats and votes numbers. Still those weren't enough to have an absolute majority. Then, after coalition negotiations, the PSC, ERC and ICV-EUiA agreed to renew the three-party coalition that had been in power, which made PSC's leader José Montilla President.

This elections saw a new party (Ciutadans - Partido de la Ciudadanía) entering the autonomous parliament, which has increased the already high diversity of this parliament from five political parties with representation to now six, which contrasts with the increasingly bipartisan Spanish -and European in general- politic scenario.

Parties

* CiU (Convergence and Unity). Presidential candidate: Artur Mas. Union of the Catalan nationalist, fiscally liberal Democratic Convergence of Catalonia and the conservative Democratic Union of Catalonia.

* PSC-PSOE (Socialist Party of Catalonia). Presidential candidate: José Montilla. Social democratic. Affiliated to the Spanish Socialist Party, (PSOE).

* ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia). Presidential candidate: Josep-Lluís Carod-Rovira. Catalan republican and independentist, left-wing.

* PP (People's Party). Presidential candidate: Josep Piqué. The main party of the centre-right in Spain.

* ICV-EUiA (Green Initiative for Catalonia-Left United Alternative). Presidential candidate: Joan Saura. Green (eco-socialist) and radical left.

*Ciutadans - Partido de la Ciudadanía (Citizens' Party). Presidential candidate: Albert Rivera. Social democratic, social liberalist and non nationalist party.

Results

General

Lleida

Tarragona