2011 Barcelona municipal election

2011 Barcelona municipal election
22 May 2011
All 41 seats in the City Council of Barcelona
21 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered1,163,594 5.7%
Turnout616,537 (53.0%)
3.4 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Xavier Trias Jordi Hereu Alberto Fernández Díaz
Party CiU PSC–PM PP
Leader since 17 May 2002 8 September 2006 17 July 2002
Last election 12 seats, 25.5% 14 seats, 29.9% 7 seats, 15.6%
Seats won 14 11 9
Seat change 2 3 2
Popular vote 174,122 134,193 104,475
Percentage 28.7% 22.1% 17.2%
Swing 3.2 pp 7.8 pp 1.6 pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Ricard Gomà Jordi Portabella
Party ICV–EUiA–E UpB–ERC–RI.cat–DCat
Leader since 4 July 2010 16 May 1998
Last election 4 seats, 9.3% 4 seats, 8.8%
Seats won 5 2
Seat change 1 2
Popular vote 62,979 33,900
Percentage 10.4% 5.6%
Swing 1.1 pp 3.2 pp
Mayor before election

Jordi Hereu
PSC

Elected Mayor

Xavier Trias
CiU

A municipal election was held in Barcelona on Sunday, 22 May 2011, to elect the 9th City Council of the municipality. All 41 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.

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 (Spanish: ayuntamientos), local corporations with independent legal personality composed of a mayor, a government council and an elected legislative assembly.[1][2] In the case of Barcelona, the top-tier administrative and governing body was the City Council of Barcelona.[3]

Electoral system

Voting for local assemblies was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age, registered and residing in the municipality of Barcelona and in full enjoyment of their political rights (provided that they were not sentenced—by a final court ruling—to deprivation of the right to vote, nor being legally incapacitated), as well as resident non-national European citizens and those whose country of origin allowed Spanish nationals to vote in their own elections by virtue of a treaty.[2][4][5]

Local councillors were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional voting system, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes (which included blank ballots) being applied in each municipality.[6] Each municipality constituted a multi-member constituency, entitled a number of seats based on the following scale (amended for smaller municipalities in 2011):[7]

Population Councillors
<100 3
101–250 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 vacated seats; instead, any vacancies that occurred after the proclamation of candidates and into the legislative term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when required, by the designated substitutes.[8]

The mayor was indirectly elected by the local assembly.[2] A legal clause required candidates to earn the vote of an absolute majority of councillors, or else the candidate of the most-voted party was to be automatically appointed to the post. In the event of a tie, the appointee was to be determined by lot.[9]

Election date

The term of city councils in Spain expired four years after the date of their previous election, with election day being fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years (as of 2025, this has been the year before a leap year). The election decree was required to be issued no later than the fifty-fifth day prior to the scheduled election date and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE).[10] The previous local elections were held on 27 May 2007, setting the date for election day on the fourth Sunday of May four years later, which was 22 May 2011.

Local councils could not be dissolved before the expiry 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—agree to call a by-election.[11]

Elections to local councils were officially called on 29 March 2011 with the publication of the corresponding decree in the BOE, setting election day for 22 May.[12]

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 ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant electoral commission within ten 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 of candidates. In the case of Barcelona, as its population was over 1,000,001, at least 8,000 signatures were required.[13] Additionally, a balanced composition of men and women was required in the electoral lists, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition.[14]

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

Candidacy Parties and
alliances 		Leading candidate Ideology Previous result Gov. Ref.
Vote % Seats
PSC–PM
List
 Jordi Hereu Social democracy 29.9% 14 [15]
[16]
CiU
List
 Xavier Trias Catalan nationalism
Centrism 		25.5% 12 [17]
[18]
PP
List
 Alberto Fernández Díaz Conservatism
Christian democracy 		15.6% 7 [19]
ICV–EUiA–E
List
 Ricard Gomà Regionalism
Eco-socialism
Green politics 		9.3% 4 [20]
[21]
[22]
UpB–ERC–
RI.cat–DCat
List
 Jordi Portabella Catalan independence
Left-wing nationalism
Social democracy 		8.8% 4 [23]
[24]

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; 21 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Barcelona.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Victory preferences

The table below lists opinion polling on the victory preferences for each party in the event of a municipal election taking place.

Victory likelihood

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood of victory for each party in the event of a municipal election taking place.

Preferred Mayor

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become mayor of Barcelona.

All candidates
Hereu vs. Trias
Tura vs. Trias

Predicted Mayor

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood for each leader to become mayor.

Results

← Summary of the 22 May 2011 City Council of Barcelona election results →
Parties and alliances Popular vote Seats
Votes % ±pp Total +/−
Convergence and Union (CiU) 174,122 28.73 +3.27 14 +2
Socialists' Party of Catalonia–Municipal Progress (PSC–PM) 134,193 22.14 −7.77 11 −3
People's Party (PP) 104,475 17.24 +1.63 9 +2
Initiative for Catalonia Greens–EUiA–Agreement (ICV–EUiA–E) 62,979 10.39 +1.04 5 +1
Unity for Barcelona–Republican Left–Rally (UpB–ERC–RI.cat–DCat) 33,900 5.59 −3.22 2 −2
Popular Unity Candidacy–Alternative for Barcelona (CUP–AxB) 11,833 1.95 New 0 ±0
Citizens–Party of the Citizenry (C's) 11,742 1.94 −1.94 0 ±0
Blank Seats–Citizens for Blank Votes (EB–CenB) 10,115 1.67 +1.29 0 ±0
Catalan Solidarity for Independence (SI) 6,823 1.13 New 0 ±0
The Greens–European Green Group (EV–GVE) 6,128 1.01 New 0 ±0
Pirates of Catalonia (Pirata.cat) 4,675 0.77 New 0 ±0
Anti-Bullfighting Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA) 4,308 0.71 +0.21 0 ±0
Platform for Catalonia (PxC) 3,405 0.56 +0.50 0 ±0
For a Fairer World (PUM+J) 1,593 0.26 +0.14 0 ±0
Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD) 1,463 0.24 New 0 ±0
Pensioners in Action Party (PDLPEA) 1,382 0.23 New 0 ±0
The Barcelona of Neighborhoods (LBB) 1,189 0.20 New 0 ±0
Communist Party of the Catalan People (PCPC) 979 0.16 ±0.00 0 ±0
Open Your Eyes Party (PATO) 954 0.16 New 0 ±0
Left Republican Party–Republican Left (PRE–IR) 710 0.12 −0.01 0 ±0
Humanist Party (PH) 624 0.10 +0.03 0 ±0
Family and Life Party (PFiV) 533 0.09 +0.01 0 ±0
Spanish Phalanx of the CNSO (FE–JONS) 349 0.06 New 0 ±0
Internationalist Solidarity and Self-Management (SAIn) 246 0.04 +0.01 0 ±0
Communist Unification of Spain (UCE) 219 0.04 New 0 ±0
Blank ballots 27,107 4.47 +0.37
Total 606,046 41 ±0
Valid votes 606,046 98.30 −1.18
Invalid votes 10,491 1.70 +1.18
Votes cast / turnout 616,537 52.99 +3.37
Abstentions 547,057 47.01 −3.37
Registered voters 1,163,594
Sources[25][26][27][28]
Popular vote
CiU
 
 28.73%
PSC–PM
 
 22.14%
PP
 
 17.24%
ICV–EUiA–E
 
 10.39%
UpB–ERC–RI.cat
 
 5.59%
CUP–AxB
 
 1.95%
C's
 
 1.94%
EB–CenB
 
 1.67%
SI
 
 1.13%
EV–GVE
 
 1.01%
Others
 
 3.73%
Blank ballots
 
 4.47%
Seats
CiU
 
 34.15%
PSC–PM
 
 26.83%
PP
 
 21.95%
ICV–EUiA–E
 
 12.20%
UpB–ERC–RI.cat
 
 4.88%

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Ballot → 1 July 2011
Required majority → 21 out of 41
17 / 41
 Y
11 / 41
 N
  • • PP (8)
8 / 41
 N
Ricard Gomà (ICV–EUiA)
5 / 41
 N
Abstentions/Blank ballots
0 / 41
Absentees
0 / 41
Sources[25][29]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Montserrat Tura as PSC candidate hypothesis.
  2. ^ a b c Jordi Hereu as PSC candidate hypothesis.

References

Opinion poll sources
  1. ^ "Un sondeo da la victoria a CiU en Barcelona, donde obtendría entre 14 y 16 concejales". La Información (in Spanish). 22 May 2011.
  2. ^ "Las encuestas a pie de urna confirman el descalabro del PSOE y consolidan la mayoría absoluta en Madrid". ABC (in Spanish). 22 May 2011.
  3. ^ "Vuelco en Barcelona: el PP decide". ABC (in Spanish). 14 May 2011.
  4. ^ "Sondeos municipales (Grupo Vocento)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 14 May 2011. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Ficha técnica de las encuestas". City Council of Barcelona (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  6. ^ "CiU se impondría al PSC por solo dos concejales en las municipales de BCN". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 15 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Estimación de resultados". City Council of Barcelona (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  8. ^ a b "CIU quita la supremacía al PSC en Barcelona después de 32 años". El País (in Spanish). 15 May 2011.
  9. ^ "Estimación de resultado electoral en Barcelona". El País (in Spanish). 15 May 2011.
  10. ^ a b "CiU supera por primera vez al PSC en Barcelona". COPE (in Spanish). 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011.
  11. ^ "CiU sería la primera fuerza política en Barcelona (COPE)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 9 May 2011.
  12. ^ "CiU ganaría en Barcelona y UPN debería pactar con el PP para poder gobernar en Navarra". Antena 3 (in Spanish). 10 May 2011.
  13. ^ "Encuesta de TNS para Antena 3 y Onda Cero. Elecciones 22M. Expectativas electorales en la Ciudad de Barcelona" (PDF). TNS Demoscopia (in Spanish). 9 May 2011.
  14. ^ "Cambio de gobierno en Barcelona (Antena 3)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011.
  15. ^ a b c d "CiU augura que ganará en Barcelona por cinco concejales". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 5 May 2011.
  16. ^ "Sondejos". Government of Catalonia (in Catalan). Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  17. ^ a b "Vuelco en Barcelona". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 3 May 2011.
  18. ^ "Perspectiva de cambio en el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona (El Mundo)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 30 April 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011.
  19. ^ a b c d e "Preelectoral elecciones municipales 2011. Barcelona (Estudio nº 2866. Abril 2011)". CIS (in Spanish). 5 May 2011.
  20. ^ "El vértigo de perder Barcelona". El País (in Spanish). 5 May 2011.
  21. ^ "Hereu sigue recortando distancias con Trias, según una encuesta del PSOE". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 7 April 2011.
  22. ^ a b "Hereu recorta a la mitad la ventaja de CiU reforzado por las primarias". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 25 February 2011.
  23. ^ "El PSC estrecha la distancia con CiU en Barcelona (El Periódico)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
  24. ^ a b "Trias voreja la majoria absoluta contra Hereu i gairebé empata contra Tura". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Catalan). 6 February 2011. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011.
  25. ^ a b c "Ficha técnica" (PDF). El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 6 February 2011.
  26. ^ a b c d "Tura reanima al PSC". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 17 January 2011.
  27. ^ "Trias arrasa a Barcelona i el PSC pot perdre Girona i Tarragona, tot i que es consolida a Lleida". Ara (in Catalan). 8 December 2010.
  28. ^ "Otra encuesta que da a Trias mayoría en el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona". La Voz de Barcelona (in Spanish). 9 December 2010.
  29. ^ "Trias camina firme hacia la alcaldía de Barcelona". La Voz de Barcelona (in Spanish). 23 November 2010.
  30. ^ "CiU ganaría en el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona, pero sin mayoría (El Mundo)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 4 November 2011.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g "Enquesta CiU Barcelona Maig 2010". CiU (in Catalan). 16 June 2010.
  32. ^ "CiU roza la mayoría absoluta en Barcelona (sondeo propio)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 16 June 2010. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011.
  33. ^ a b "CiU da el vuelco". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 30 May 2010.
  34. ^ a b c "Enquesta Trias CiU Desembre 2009". CiU (in Catalan). 13 January 2010.
  35. ^ a b "Máxima igualdad". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 29 November 2009.
  36. ^ a b c "Baròmetre Març 2009". CiU (in Catalan). 5 April 2009.
  37. ^ "Un sondeo de CiU otorga la Alcaldía de Barcelona a Trias". El Economista (in Spanish). 5 April 2009.
  38. ^ a b "CiU ganaría por primera vez en Barcelona". E-Notícies (in Spanish). 15 December 2008.
  39. ^ "CiU iguala las expectativas de voto del PSC para la alcaldía de Barcelona". 20 minutos (in Spanish). 15 December 2008.
  40. ^ "Ficha técnica GESOP". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 15 December 2008.
  41. ^ "Enquesta Maig 2008". CiU (in Catalan). 3 July 2008.
  42. ^ "Baròmetre semestral de Barcelona. Juny 2010" (PDF). City Council of Barcelona (in Catalan). 19 June 2010.
  43. ^ "Baròmetre semestral de Barcelona. Desembre 2009" (PDF). City Council of Barcelona (in Catalan). 3 December 2009.
  44. ^ "Baròmetre semestral de Barcelona. Juny 2009" (PDF). City Council of Barcelona (in Catalan). 23 June 2009.
  45. ^ "Baròmetre semestral de Barcelona. Desembre 2008" (PDF). City Council of Barcelona (in Catalan). 12 December 2008.
  46. ^ "Baròmetre semestral de Barcelona. Juny 2008" (PDF). City Council of Barcelona (in Catalan). 27 June 2008.
  47. ^ "Baròmetre trimestral de Barcelona. Setembre 2007" (PDF). City Council of Barcelona (in Catalan). 28 September 2007.
  48. ^ a b c "Trias saca la mejor nota, pero los barceloneses aprueban al alcalde". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). 25 February 2011.
Other
  1. ^ Constitution (1978), art. 140.
  2. ^ a b c LBRL (1985), art. 19.
  3. ^ LBRL (1985), arts. 121–132.
  4. ^ Constitution (1978), art. 13.
  5. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 2–3 & 176.
  6. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 163 & 180.
  7. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 179.
  8. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 46, 48 & 182.
  9. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 196.
  10. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 42 & 194.
  11. ^ LBRL (1985), art. 61.
  12. ^ Real Decreto 424/2011, de 28 de marzo, por el que se convocan elecciones locales y a las Asambleas de Ceuta y Melilla para el 22 de mayo de 2011 (PDF) (Royal Decree 424/2011). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 28 March 2011. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  13. ^ LOREG (1985), arts. 44 & 187.
  14. ^ LOREG (1985), art. 44 bis.
  15. ^ Cia, Blanca (30 November 2010). "El PSC de Barcelona reafirma a Hereu como candidato tras el fiasco del 28-N". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ^ "Jordi Hereu gana las primarias y repetirá como candidato del PSC a la Alcaldía de Barcelona" (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Agencias. 19 February 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  17. ^ Noguer, Miquel (19 January 2009). "Trias no repetirá como candidato de CiU si pierde en 2011". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  18. ^ Cia, Blanca (1 June 2010). "Trias se postula como alcalde para que la ciudad "recupere el rumbo"". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  19. ^ "Rajoy proclama este sábado a Alberto Fernández candidato a la Alcaldía en Barcelona" (in Spanish). Madrid: Europa Press. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  20. ^ "Gomà sustituye a Mayol como segundo teniente de alcalde en el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona". El País (in Spanish). Barcelona. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  21. ^ "ICV-EUiA proclama a Gomà candidato a las municipales de 2011 por Barcelona". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 30 May 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  22. ^ "ICV proclama a Gomà candidato a la alcaldía". El Periódico de Catalunya (in Spanish). Barcelona. 5 July 2010. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  23. ^ "ERC ratifica a Portabella como su alcaldable por Barcelona". El Mundo (in Spanish). Barcelona. Europa Press. 30 January 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  24. ^ "Jordi Portabella, candidatura de la coalición Unitat per Barcelona". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 28 March 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  25. ^ a b Lozano, Carles. "Eleccions municipals a Barcelona (des de 1979)". Historia Electoral.com (in Catalan). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  26. ^ "Resultats electorals. Eleccions Municipals 2011. Barcelona (Municipi)". Government of Catalonia (in Catalan). Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  27. ^ "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales" (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
  28. ^ "Acuerdo de 30 de junio de 2011, de la Junta Electoral Central, por el que se procede a la publicación del resumen de los resultados de las elecciones locales convocadas por Real Decreto 424/2011, de 28 de marzo, y celebradas el 22 de mayo de 2011, según los datos que figuran en las actas de proclamación remitidas por cada una de las Juntas Electorales de Zona. Provincias: Barcelona, Burgos, Cáceres, Cádiz, Cantabria, Castellón, Ciudad Real, Córdoba, A Coruña, Cuenca, Girona, Granada, Guadalajara, Guipúzcoa, Huelva, Huesca y Jaén" (PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish) (177): 82813–83650. 25 July 2011. ISSN 0212-033X. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
  29. ^ "Xavier Trias (CiU), primer alcalde de Barcelona no socialista en 32 años". RTVE. Agencias. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2025.

Bibliography

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