1991 Madrid municipal election

Election in the Spanish municipality of Madrid 1991 Madrid municipal election City of Madrid parliamentary no 1987 Madrid municipal election 1987 1995 Madrid municipal election 1995 All 57 seats in the City Council of Madrid 29 #Opinion polls 2,524,947 10px 6.3% 1,493,617 (59.2%)10px 10.9 pp 26 May 1991 170x170px José María Álvarez del Manzano People's Party of the Community of Madrid 10 October 1986 20 seats, 34.0%"AP+PDP" Results for AP (33.8%, 20 seats) and PDP (0.2%, 0 seats) in the 1987 election. 30 10px 10 702,834 47.2% 10px 13.2 pp 170x170px Juan Barranco Madrilenian Socialist Federation 19 January 1986 24 seats, 40.5% 21 10px 3 510,556 34.3% 10px 6.2 pp 170x170px Francisco Herrera United Left of the Community of Madrid 7 June 1990 3 seats, 6.1% 6 10px 3 144,640 9.7% 10px 3.6 pp 170x170px José Ramón Lasuén Democratic and Social Centre (Spain) 22 March 1991 8 seats, 15.1% 0 10px 8 43,112 2.9% 10px 12.2 pp Mayor Mayor after election Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún Democratic and Social Centre (Spain) José María Álvarez del Manzano People's Party of the Community of Madrid A municipal election was held in Madrid on 26 May 1991 to elect the 4th City Council of the municipality. All 57 seats in the City Council were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in thirteen autonomous communities and local elections all across Spain. The People's Party (PP), People's Alliance new electoral brand, went on to win a City Council election in Madrid for the first time with an absolute majority of seats. The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) continued its decline in the city and lost 3 seats and around 150,000 votes, while United Left (IU) recovered from its 1987 debacle and, for the first time since 1979, increased in seats and votes. The ruling Democratic and Social Centre (CDS), whose local leader Agustín Rodríguez Sahagún had announced his intention not to run for re-election, all but disappeared from the council after failing to meet the required 5% threshold. As a result of the election, José María Álvarez del Manzano was elected Mayor unopposed, a post he would retain until 2003, becoming the longest-serving democratically elected Mayor of Madrid. 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 (es ayuntamientos), local corporations with independent legal personality composed of a mayor, a government council and an elected legislative assembly.Constitution 1978 art. 140; LBRL 1985 art. 19. The mayor was indirectly elected by the local assembly, requiring an absolute majority; otherwise, the candidate from the most-voted party automatically became mayor (ties were resolved by drawing lots).LBRL 1985 art. 19; LOREG 1985 art. 196. In the case of Madrid, the top-tier administrative and governing body was the City Council of Madrid.LBRL 1985 add. prov. 6 (suppl. supplemented by Decree 1674 of 11 July 1963 art. 3). Date The term of local assemblies in Spain expired four years after the date of their previous election, with amendments earlier in 1991 fixing election day for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The election decree was required to be issued between 54 and 60 days before the scheduled election date and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE).LOREG 1985 arts. 42 & 194. The previous local elections were held on 10 June 1987, setting the date for election day on the fourth Sunday of May four years later, which was 26 May 1991. Local assemblies could not be dissolved before the expiration 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—decide to call a by-election.LBRL 1985 art. 61. Elections to the assemblies of local entities were officially called on 2 April 1991 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 26 May.Royal Decree 391/1991 1991 art. 1. Electoral system Voting for local assemblies was based on universal suffrage, comprising all Spanish nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality 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), as well as resident non-nationals whose country of origin allowed reciprocal voting by virtue of a treaty.Constitution 1978 art. 13; LBRL 1985 art. 19; LOREG 1985 arts. 2–3 & 176. Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and closed-list proportional voting, with a five percent-threshold of valid votes (including blank ballots) in each municipality.LOREG 1985 arts. 163 & 180. Each municipality was a multi-member constituency, with a number of seats based on the following scale:LOREG 1985 art. 179. Population Councillors <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 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.LOREG 1985 arts. 46, 48 & 182. 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 a determined amount of the electors registered in the municipality for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list. In the case of Madrid, as its population was over 1,000,001, at least 8,000 signatures were required.LOREG 1985 arts. 44 & 187. Below is a list of the main parties and alliances which contested the election: Candidacy Parties andalliances Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Government Ref. References Vote % Seats PSOE List on Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 50px Juan Barranco Social democracy 40.5% 24 Sánchez-Mellado Luz 29 January 1991 Leguina y Barranco, candidatos por Madrid https://elpais.com/diario/1991/01/29/espana/665103618_850215.html es El País Madrid 29 November 2025 PP List on People's Party (PP) 50px José María Álvarez del Manzano ConservatismChristian democracy 34.0%"AP+PDP" 20 Díez Anabel 16 January 1989 El Partido Liberal se disolverá para integrarse en el proyecto de Fraga https://elpais.com/diario/1989/01/16/espana/600908409_850215.html es El País Madrid 2 January 202621 January 1989 Fraga se empleó a fondo para lograr que el congreso de AP cambie el nombre del partido https://elpais.com/diario/1989/01/21/espana/601340403_850215.html es El País Madrid 2 January 202629 January 1989 La DC aprobó ayer formalmente su integración en el Partido Popular https://elpais.com/diario/1989/01/29/espana/602031611_850215.html es El País Madrid 2 January 2026Montoliú Pedro 27 July 1990 El PP opta por la misma candidatura de hace tres años para la alcaldía y la Comunidad de Madrid https://elpais.com/diario/1990/07/27/madrid/649077858_850215.html es El País Madrid 29 November 2025 CDS List on Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) 50px José Ramón Lasuén CentrismLiberalism 15.1% 8 EFE 26 June 1990 Suárez confirma a Rodríguez Sahagún como candidato del CDS a la alcaldía https://elpais.com/diario/1990/06/26/madrid/646399461_850215.html es El País Madrid 29 November 20258 April 1991 Confusión en el CDS mientras intenta buscar un sustituto para Rodríguez Sahagún https://elpais.com/diario/1991/04/08/madrid/671109869_850215.html es El País Madrid 29 November 202511 April 1991 La ejecutiva del CDS ratifica a Lasuén como candidato por Madrid https://elpais.com/diario/1991/04/11/espana/671320815_850215.html es El País Madrid 29 November 2025 IU List on Communist Party of Madrid (PCM) Socialist Action Party (PASOC) Republican Left (IR) 50px Francisco Herrera SocialismCommunism 6.1% 3 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; 29 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Madrid (28 in the 1987 election). Polling firm/Commissioner Fieldwork date Sample size Turnout 17px|link=Madrilenian Socialist Federation|PSOE 30px|link=People's Alliance (Spain)|AP 27px|link=Democratic and Social Centre (Spain)|CDS 25px|link=United Left of the Community of Madrid|IU 27px|link=People's Democratic Party (Spain)|PDP 35px|link=People's Party of the Community of Madrid|PP ARM Lead 1991 municipal election 26 May 1991 59.2 34.375% Verdana 21 "PP" Within PP. 2.975% Verdana 0 9.775% Verdana 6 "PP" 47.275% Verdana 30 1.675% Verdana 0 12.9 Sigma Dos/El MundoLas elecciones de 26-5-91 http://www.cepc.gob.es/publicaciones/revistas/revistaselectronicas?IDR=15&IDN=1239&IDA=35412 es CEPC August 1991 19 May 1991?? 31.775% Verdana 20 "PP" 5.975% Verdana 3 10.675% Verdana 6/7 "PP" 43.375% Verdana 27/28 – 11.6 Gruppo/ABCEl PP consolida su victoria en el Ayuntamiento de Madrid, donde el CDS obtendría tres concejales http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1991/05/18/027.html es ABC 18 May 1991 14–15 May 1991 1,000? 32.775% Verdana 20/21 "PP" 6.375% Verdana 3 10.275% Verdana 5/6 "PP" 42.675% Verdana 26/27 4.575% Verdana 0/3 9.9 Metra Seis/El Independiente 12 May 1991?? 37.375% Verdana 23/24 "PP" 6.075% Verdana 3 9.075% Verdana 5 "PP" 40.575% Verdana 25/26 – 3.2 Demoscopia/PPSegún una encuesta, el PP roza la mayoría absoluta http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1991/05/09/042.html es ABC 9 May 1991 9 May 1991?? 31.0–33.075% Verdana 19/21 "PP" 4.0–6.075% Verdana 0/3 10.0–12.075% Verdana 7/8 "PP" 43.0–46.075% Verdana 26/28 – 12.0–13.0 Demoscopia/El PaísEl ascenso del PP hace peligrar al PSOE en Madrid, Sevilla y Valencia https://elpais.com/diario/1991/05/19/portada/674604002_850215.html es El País 19 May 1991Ficha técnica https://elpais.com/diario/1991/05/19/espana/674604006_850215.html es El País 19 May 1991 4–7 May 1991?? 32.975% Verdana 21/22 "PP" 5.075% Verdana 0/3 11.575% Verdana 7 "PP" 41.575% Verdana 26/28 – 8.6 Gruppo/ABCEl PP, al borde de la mayoría absoluta en Madrid http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1991/05/10/031.html es ABC 10 May 1991 26 Apr–2 May 1991 1,000? 33.675% Verdana 21 "PP" 3.875% Verdana 0 9.375% Verdana 5/6 "PP" 43.475% Verdana 27/28 5.475% Verdana 3 9.8 PPManzano, al borde de la mayoría absoluta, según una encuesta http://hemeroteca.abc.es/nav/Navigate.exe/hemeroteca/madrid/abc/1991/03/12/046.html es ABC 9 May 1991 12 Mar 1991?? 31.0 "PP" – – "PP" 42.0 – 11.0 Demoscopia/TelemadridEncuesta de Demoscopia https://elpais.com/diario/1990/10/20/madrid/656425466_850215.html es El País 20 October 1990 20 Oct 1990?? 39.0 "PP" 17.8 – "PP" 33.0 – 6.0 1989 general election 29 Oct 1989 73.1 29.975% Verdana (18) "PP" 10.675% Verdana (6) 14.575% Verdana (8) "PP" 39.075% Verdana (23) 0.975% Verdana (0) 10.1 1989 EP election 15 Jun 1989 59.2 32.275% Verdana (21) "PP" 8.775% Verdana (5) 7.675% Verdana (4) "PP" 32.175% Verdana (21) 6.875% Verdana (4) 0.1 1987 municipal election 10 Jun 1987 70.1 40.575% Verdana 24 33.875% Verdana 20 15.175% Verdana 8 6.175% Verdana 3 0.275% Verdana 0 – – 6.7 Results + ← Summary of the 26 May 1991 City Council of Madrid election results → center|325px Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats Votes % ±pp Total +/− People's Party (PP)1 702,834 47.23 +13.24 30 +10 Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 510,556 34.31 −6.16 21 −3 United Left (IU) 144,640 9.72 +3.61 6 +3 Democratic and Social Centre (CDS) 43,112 2.90 −12.15 0 −8 Ruiz-Mateos Group (ARM) 23,404 1.57 New 0 ±0 The Greens (LV) 18,947 1.27 +0.59 0 ±0 The Ecologists (LE) 5,051 0.34 New 0 ±0 Green Union (UVE)2 4,335 0.29 −0.01 0 ±0 Workers' Socialist Party (PST) 2,949 0.20 New 0 ±0 Madrilenian Independent Regional Party (PRIM) 2,610 0.18 New 0 ±0 Party of Madrid (PAM) 2,393 0.16 New 0 ±0 Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) 1,962 0.13 −0.15 0 ±0 Citizen Independent Group Gray Panthers (ACI) 1,745 0.12 New 0 ±0 Revolutionary Workers' Party of Spain (PORE) 859 0.06 −0.01 0 ±0 Left Platform (PCE (m–l)–CRPE)3 740 0.05 −0.03 0 ±0 Alliance for the Republic (AxR)4 728 0.05 −0.02 0 ±0 Independent Spanish Phalanx (FEI) 605 0.04 New 0 ±0 Spanish Catholic Movement (MCE) 581 0.04 New 0 ±0 Commoners' Land (TC) 563 0.04 New 0 ±0 United Republican Action (ARU) 534 0.04 New 0 ±0 Carlist Party (PC) 341 0.02 New 0 ±0 Generational Integration (IG) 295 0.02 New 0 ±0 Political Natural Power Party (PPNP) 258 0.02 New 0 ±0 Blank ballots 18,055 1.21 +0.18 Total 1,488,097 57 +2 Valid votes 1,488,097 99.63 +0.75 Invalid votes 5,520 0.37 −0.75 Votes cast / turnout 1,493,617 59.15 −10.91 Abstentions 1,031,330 40.85 +10.91 Registered voters 2,524,947 SourcesLozano Carles https://www.historiaelectoral.com/mmadrid.html Elecciones Municipales en Madrid (desde 1979) es Historia Electoral.com 4 November 2025https://www.madrid.es/UnidadesDescentralizadas/UDCEstadistica/Nuevaweb/Publicaciones/anuesta/nuevos/Anuario%20Estad%C3%ADstico%20Municipal/Anuario%20Estad%C3%ADstico%202006/C16.pdf Elecciones al Ayuntamiento de Madrid y a la Asamblea de Madrid de 26 de mayo de 1991 es City Council of Madrid 26 November 2025https://infoelectoral.interior.gob.es/es/elecciones-celebradas/resultados-electorales/ Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales es Ministry of the Interior 5 November 2025 5 August 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240805154842/https://infoelectoral.interior.gob.es/es/elecciones-celebradas/resultados-electorales/ dead Official State Gazette 173 (Supplement) 20 July 1991 es Resumen de los resultados de las elecciones locales convocadas por Real Decreto 391/1991, de 1 de abril, y celebradas el 26 de mayo de 1991, según los datos que figuran en las actas remitidas por cada una de las Juntas Electorales de Zona https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/1991/07/20/pdfs/C00001-01052.pdf 0212-033X 1–1052 26 November 2025 left Footnotes: 1 People's Party results are compared to the combined totals of People's Alliance and People's Democratic Party in the 1987 election. 2 Green Union results are compared to Confederation of the Greens totals in the 1987 election. 3 Left Platform results are compared to Republican Popular Unity totals in the 1987 election. 4 Alliance for the Republic results are compared to Internationalist Socialist Workers' Party totals in the 1987 election. Popular vote #ddd 550px 500px PP People's Party of the Community of Madrid 47.23 PSOE Madrilenian Socialist Federation 34.31 IU United Left of the Community of Madrid 9.72 CDS Democratic and Social Centre (Spain) 2.90 ARM Ruiz-Mateos Group 1.57 LV Confederation of the Greens 1.27 Others #777777 1.78 Blank ballots #DDDDDD 1.21 Seats #ddd 550px 500px PP People's Party of the Community of Madrid 52.63 PSOE Madrilenian Socialist Federation 36.84 IU United Left of the Community of Madrid 10.53 Aftermath Government formation Investiture Ballot → 5 July 1991 Required majority → 29 out of 57 José María Álvarez del Manzano (PP) • PP (30) 30 57 People's Party of the Community of Madrid 125px 15 Juan Barranco (PSOE) • PSOE (21) 21 57 Madrilenian Socialist Federation 125px 15 Francisco Herrera (IU) • IU (6) 6 57 United Left of the Community of Madrid 125px 15 Abstentions/Blank ballots 0 57 gray 125px Absentees 0 57 black 125px Sources6 July 1991 https://elpais.com/diario/1991/07/06/espana/678751220_850215.html El PSOE logra cinco de las 10 capitales pendientes El País Madrid 29 November 2025Agencias 6 July 1991 https://hemeroteca.lavanguardia.com/preview/1991/07/06/pagina-11/33487174/pdf.html Álvarez del Manzano fija su objetivo en trabajar por "un Madrid más justo y libre" La Vanguardia Madrid 29 November 2025 Notes References Opinion poll sources "p" Other Bibliography 30em y Decreto 1674/1963, de 11 de julio, por el que se aprueba el texto articulado de la Ley que establece un régimen especial para el Municipio de Madrid Decree 1674/1963 11 July 1963 Official State Gazette BOE-A-1963-14593 es https://boe.es/boe/dias/1963/07/18/pdfs/A10982-10992.pdf 18 December 2025 Decree 1674 of 11 July 1963 y Constitución Española Constitution 27 December 1978 version as of 29 December 1978 Official State Gazette BOE-A-1978-31229 es https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1978-31229&tn=1&p=19781229 27 December 2016 Constitution 1978 y Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local Law 7/1985 2 April 1985 version as of 27 March 1991 Official State Gazette BOE-A-1985-5392 es https://boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1985-5392&tn=1&p=19910327 4 November 2025 LBRL 1985 y Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General Organic Law 5/1985 19 June 1985 version as of 14 March 1991 Official State Gazette BOE-A-1985-11672 es https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1985-11672&tn=1&p=19910314 4 November 2025 LOREG 1985 y Real Decreto 391/1991, de 1 de abril, de convocatoria de elecciones locales Royal Decree 391/1991 1 April 1991 Official State Gazette BOE-A-1991-7959 es https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1991-7959 27 November 2025 Royal Decree 391/1991 1991 Municipal election Madrid Category:Elections in Madrid Madrid