2003 Cantabrian regional election

2003 Cantabrian regional election
← 1999 25 May 2003 2007 →
All 39 seats in the Parliament of Cantabria
20 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered476,924 Green arrow up2.5%
Turnout348,377 (73.0%)
Green arrow up4.2 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader José Joaquín Martínez Sieso Dolores Gorostiaga Miguel Ángel Revilla
Party PP PSOE PRC
Leader since 1995 16 December 2000 1983
Last election 19 seats, 42.5% 14 seats, 33.1% 6 seats, 13.5%
Seats won 18 13 8
Seat change Red arrow down1 Red arrow down1 Green arrow up2
Popular vote 146,796 103,608 66,480
Percentage 42.5% 30.0% 19.2%
Swing Blue arrow right0.0 pp Red arrow down3.1 pp Green arrow up5.7 pp
President before election

José Joaquín Martínez Sieso
PP

Elected President

Miguel Ángel Revilla
PRC

The 2003 Cantabrian regional election was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Parliament of the autonomous community of Cantabria. All 39 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.

Both the People's Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) lost 1 seat each to the Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC), which won 8 seats. As neither had won an absolute majority, the PRC reinforced its position as parliamentary kingmaker, able to give the government to either of the two parties.[1] The PRC, in a coalition with the PP since 1995, announced that it was not renewing the pact a third time due to "deteriorating relations" between both parties after 8 years of government, and that it would instead seek an alliance with the PSOE.[2]

As a result of the election, PSOE and PRC reached a coalition agreement in which Miguel Ángel Revilla from the PRC was to be elected as regional President.[3]

  1. ^ "The regionalists, again key in forming a government in Cantabria" (in Spanish). El País. 2003-05-26.
  2. ^ "The PP acknowledges its loss of Cantabria as opposition pact grows likely" (in Spanish). El País. 2003-06-04.
  3. ^ "The regionalists rob the presidency of Cantabria from the PP and will govern with the PSOE" (in Spanish). El País. 2003-06-05.