2011 Valencia municipal election

2011 Valencia municipal election

22 May 2011
All 33 seats in the City Council of Valencia17 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
Registered	579,733 4.8%
Turnout	402,400 (69.4%) 1.0 pp
First party Second party Third party   Leader Rita Barberá Joan Calabuig Joan Ribó Party PP PSPV–PSOE Compromís Leader since 1991 3 October 2010 7 May 2010 Last election 21 seats, 56.7% 12 seats, 33.8% Did not contest Seats won 20 8 3 Seat change 1 4 3 Popular vote 208,727 86,440 35,881 Percentage 52.5% 21.8% 9.0% Swing 4.2 pp 12.0 pp New party   Fourth party   Leader Amadeu Sanchis Party EUPV Leader since 2004 Last election 0 seats, 4.8% Seats won 2 Seat change 2 Popular vote 28,489 Percentage 7.2% Swing 2.4 pp
Mayor before election Rita BarberáPP Elected mayor Rita BarberáPP

A municipal election was held in Valencia on Sunday, 22 May 2011, to elect the 9th City Council of the municipality. All 33 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 election saw the ruling People's Party (PP) obtaining a new absolute majority, which allowed incumbent Mayor Rita Barberá to be re-elected for a sixth consecutive term in office. On the other hand, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) saw a sharp decline in support, suffering from the nationwide backlash against José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero-led Government of Spain amid a harsh financial crisis at the time and scoring its worst historical result in a municipal election up to that point.

Also entering the City Council were the Compromís coalition (English: Commitment), formed by the Valencian Nationalist Bloc (Bloc), Initiative of the Valencian People (IdPV) and The Greens–Ecologist Left of the Valencian Country (EV–EE), which emerged as the third political force in the city; and United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV), the regional branch of United Left, which returned to the City Council after being left out in the previous election.

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 Valencia, the top-tier administrative and governing body was the City Council of Valencia.^[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 Valencia 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 listproportional 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 2026, 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 Valencia, as its population was between 300,001 and 1,000,000, at least 5,000 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 andalliances	Leading candidate		Ideology	Previous result		Gov.	Ref.
						Vote %	Seats
	PP	List People's Party (PP)		Rita Barberá	ConservatismChristian democracy	56.7%	21		[15]
	PSPV–PSOE	List Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE)		Joan Calabuig	Social democracy	33.8%	12		[16][17][18]
	EUPV	List United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV)– Communist Party of the Valencian Country (PCPV)– Revolutionary Workers' Party (POR)– Republican Left (IR)		Amadeu Sanchis	SocialismCommunism	4.8%	0		[19]
	Compromís	List Valencian Nationalist Bloc (Bloc) Valencian People's Initiative (IdPV) Greens Equo of the Valencian Country (VerdsEquo)		Joan Ribó	ValencianismProgressivismGreen politics	Did not contest

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; 17 seats were required for an absolute majority in the City Council of Valencia.

Color key:

  Exit poll

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size	Turnout						Lead
2011 municipal election	22 May 2011	—N/a	69.4	52.520	21.88	7.22	9.03	2.80	30.7
Ipsos–Eco/FORTA[p 1][p 2]	22 May 2011	?	?	49.922/23	26.311/12	7.22/3	7.83/4	–	23.6
Ikerfel/Vocento[p 3][p 4]	15 May 2011	800	?	54.620/21	33.912/13	–	–	–	20.7
TNS Demoscopia/Antena 3[p 5][p 6]	4 May 2011	?	?	55.521	27.110	7.02	3.30	2.70	28.4
Sigma Dos/El Mundo[p 7][p 8]	15–19 Apr 2011	400	?	57.321	28.810/11	5.31/2	–	–	28.5
CIS[p 9][p 10]	17 Mar–17 Apr 2011	494	?	53.421	27.010	6.62	3.10	3.20	26.4
PP[p 11][p 12]	25 Feb 2011	?	?	?22	?9	?2	–	–	?
2009 EP election	7 Jun 2009	—N/a	55.8	53.8(20)	34.5(13)	3.5(0)	0.5(0)	3.3(0)	19.3
2008 general election	9 Mar 2008	—N/a	79.5	53.5(19)	38.1(14)	3.2(0)	0.8(0)	1.2(0)	15.4
2007 municipal election	27 May 2007	—N/a	68.4	56.721	33.812	4.80	–	–	22.9

Voting preferences

The table below lists raw, unweighted voting preferences.

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size						?	N	Lead
2011 municipal election	22 May 2011	—N/a	36.0	14.9	4.9	6.2	1.9	—N/a	30.6	21.1
CIS[p 9]	17 Mar–17 Apr 2011	494	41.3	16.0	4.3	2.2	2.4	19.3	8.3	25.3
2009 EP election	7 Jun 2009	—N/a	29.9	19.2	1.9	0.3	1.8	—N/a	44.2	10.7
2008 general election	9 Mar 2008	—N/a	42.2	30.1	2.5	0.6	0.9	—N/a	20.5	12.1
2007 municipal election	27 May 2007	—N/a	38.6	23.0	3.3	–	–	—N/a	31.6	22.9

Preferred Mayor

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

Polling firm/Commissioner	Fieldwork date	Sample size						Other/None/Notcare	?	Lead
			BarberáPP	CalabuigPSPV	SanchisEUPV	RibóCompromís	IgualUPyD
CIS[p 9]	17 Mar–17 Apr 2011	494	50.4	14.2	0.4	5.3	1.4	5.9	22.4	36.2

Results

← Summary of the 22 May 2011 City Council of Valencia election results →

Parties and alliances		Popular vote			Seats
		Votes	%	±pp	Total	+/−
	People's Party (PP)	208,727	52.54	−4.13	20	−1
	Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV–PSOE)	86,440	21.76	−12.02	8	−4
	Commitment to Valencia: Commitment Municipal Coalition (Compromís)	35,881	9.03	New	3	+3
	United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV)	28,489	7.17	+2.40	2	+2
	Union, Progress and Democracy (UPyD)	11,243	2.83	New	0	±0
	Greens and Eco-pacifists (VyE)	5,177	1.30	New	0	±0
	Valencian Coalition (CVa)	2,219	0.56	−0.79	0	±0
	Spain 2000 (E–2000)	1,920	0.48	+0.29	0	±0
	Anti-Bullfighting Party Against Mistreatment of Animals (PACMA)	1,771	0.45	New	0	±0
	Republican Left of the Valencian Country–Municipal Agreement (ERPV–AM)	980	0.25	−0.01	0	±0
	For a Fairer World (PUM+J)	752	0.19	+0.03	0	±0
	United for Valencia (UxV)	690	0.17	+0.08	0	±0
	Family and Life Party (PFyV)	511	0.13	New	0	±0
	Humanist Party (PH)	488	0.12	+0.07	0	±0
	Liberal Democratic Centre (CDL)	482	0.12	New	0	±0
	Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE)	443	0.11	+0.02	0	±0
	Party of the Elderly and the Self-employed (PdMA)	387	0.10	New	0	±0
	National Democracy (DN)	343	0.09	+0.03	0	±0
	Foreigners' Party (PdEx)	314	0.08	New	0	±0
	Communist Unification of Spain (UCE)	295	0.07	New	0	±0
	SOS Democracy (SOSDM)	277	0.07	New	0	±0
	Valencian Nationalist Left–European Valencianist Party (ENV–RV–PVE)	275	0.07	New	0	±0
	The Republic (La República)	271	0.07	New	0	±0
	Authentic Phalanx (FA)	220	0.06	New	0	±0
Blank ballots		8,661	2.18	+0.82
Total		397,256			33	±0
Valid votes		397,256	98.72	−0.84
Invalid votes		5,144	1.28	+0.84
Votes cast / turnout		402,400	69.41	+0.99
Abstentions		177,333	30.59	−0.99
Registered voters		579,733
Sources[20][21][22]

Popular vote

PP			52.54%
PSPV–PSOE			21.76%
Compromís			9.03%
EUPV			7.17%
UPyD			2.83%
VyE			1.30%
Others			3.18%
Blank ballots			2.18%

Seats

PP			60.61%
PSPV–PSOE			24.24%
Compromís			9.09%
EUPV			6.06%

Aftermath

Government formation

Investiture
Ballot →		11 June 2011
Required majority →		17 out of 33
	Rita Barberá (PP) • PP (20)	20 / 33	Y
	Joan Calabuig (PSPV) • PSPV (8)	8 / 33	N
	Joan Ribó (Compromís) • Compromís (3)	3 / 33	N
	Amadeu Sanchis (EUPV) • EUPV (2)	2 / 33	N
	Abstentions/Blank ballots	0 / 33
	Absentees	0 / 33
Sources[23]

References

Opinion poll sources

1. "Gema Amor tendría la llave del gobierno en Benidorm". Diario Información (in Spanish). 22 May 2011.
2. "El PP revalidaría su mayoría absoluta en Valencia, Alicante y Castellón, según un sondeo". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 22 May 2011.
3. "El PP sigue firme en las tres capitales". ABC (in Spanish). 15 May 2011.
4. "Sondeo municipales II (Grupo Vocento)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2021.
5. "El PP renovaría su mandato en los ayuntamientos de Valencia y Cáceres". Antena 3 (in Spanish). 4 May 2011.
6. "Encuesta de TNS Demoscopia para Antena 3 y Onda Cero 4-5-2011, Elecciones municipales en Valencia". ForoCoches (in Spanish). 28 April 2011.
7. "Encuesta de Sigma Dos para El Mundo, Elecciones municipales en Valencia 28-4-2011". ForoCoches (in Spanish). 28 April 2011.
8. "Una primera aproximación a la batalla (electoral) de Valencia". La Página Definitiva (in Spanish). 28 April 2011.
9. "Preelectoral elecciones autonómicas y municipales, 2011. Comunidad Valenciana y Ciudad de Valencia (Estudio nº 2872. Marzo-Abril 2011)". CIS (in Spanish). 5 May 2011.
10. "Rajoy se vuelca a por su billete a la Moncloa". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 6 May 2011.
11. "Una encuesta del PP da al PSPV tres concejales menos en el ayuntamiento". Levante-EMV (in Spanish). 25 February 2011.
12. "EU entraría en el Ayuntamiento de Valencia con dos concejales (sondeo encargado por el PP)". Electómetro (in Spanish). 25 February 2011. Archived from the original on 28 February 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2021.

Other

1. Constitution (1978), art. 140.
2. 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. "Barberá volverá a presentarse a la alcaldía de Valencia en 2011". El País (in Spanish). Valencia. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
16. Hernández, Marisol (13 September 2010). "Carmen Alborch no será la candidata socialista al Ayuntamiento de Valencia". El Mundo (in Spanish). Valencia. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
17. "El diputado Joan Calabuig se perfila como candidato socialista a la Alcaldía". El Mundo (in Spanish). Valencia. Europa Press. 13 September 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
18. Obrador, José Luis (3 October 2010). "Calabuig gana las primarias en Valencia y se las verá con Rita Barberá en mayo de 2011". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Valencia. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
19. "Amadeu Sanchis encabezará la lista de EU a la Alcaldía de Valencia en 2011". El Mundo (in Spanish). Valencia. Europa Press. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
20. Lozano, Carles. "Eleccions municipals a València (des de 1979)". Historia Electoral.com (in Catalan). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
21. "Elecciones celebradas. Resultados electorales" (in Spanish). Ministry of the Interior. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
22. "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: Salamanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Segovia, Sevilla, Soria, Tarragona, Teruel, Toledo, Valencia, Valladolid, Vizcaya, Zamora, Zaragoza, Ceuta y Melilla"(PDF). Official State Gazette (in Spanish) (181): 86078–86708. 29 July 2011. ISSN 0212-033X. Retrieved 6 November 2025.
23. "Barberá asume por sexta ocasión consecutiva la alcaldía de Valencia". La Vanguardia. Valencia. EFE. 11 June 2011. Retrieved 9 November 2025.

Bibliography

• Constitución Española (Constitution). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 27 December 1978 [version as of 28 August 1992]. BOE-A-1978-31229. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
• Ley 7/1985, de 2 de abril, Reguladora de las Bases del Régimen Local (Law 7/1985). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 2 April 1985 [version as of 5 March 2011]. BOE-A-1985-5392. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
• Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General (Organic Law 5/1985). Official State Gazette (in Spanish). 19 June 1985 [version as of 30 April 2011]. BOE-A-1985-11672. Retrieved 4 November 2025.