2011 Spanish regional elections


Regional elections were held in Spain during 2011 to elect the regional parliaments of thirteen of the seventeen autonomous communities: Aragon, Asturias, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castile and León, Castilla–La Mancha, Extremadura, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarre and the Valencian Community; and the two autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. 824 of 1,218 seats in the regional parliaments were up for election, as well as the 50 seats in the regional assemblies of the autonomous cities. The elections were held on 22 May.
The week before the elections came dominated under the scope of the 15-M protests which had been held in different cities across Spain. The opposition People's Party won the elections in a landslide as the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' Party lost all regional governments at stake—including Extremadura and Castilla–La Mancha, which it had held since 1983. The PP won outright majorities in eight out of the thirteen communities holding elections, and was able to gain power in a further two either through agreements with other parties.

Election date

Determination of election day varied depending on the autonomous community. Typically, most autonomous communities held their elections on the fourth Sunday of May every four years, concurrently with nationwide local elections, while others had their own, separate electoral cycles. In some cases, regional presidents had the prerogative to dissolve parliament and call for extra elections at a different time, but newly elected assemblies were restricted to serving out what remained of their previous four year-terms without altering the period to their next ordinary election. In other cases—Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country, Castile and León, Catalonia, Extremadura, Galicia, Navarre and the Valencian Community —the law granted regional presidents the power to call snap elections resulting in fresh four-year parliamentary terms.

Regional governments

The following table lists party control in autonomous communities and cities. Gains for a party are highlighted in that party's colour.

Summary by region