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United Left (Spain)
Encyclopedia
The United Left is a political coalition that was organized in 1986 bringing together several political organisations opposed to Spain joining NATO. It was formed by a number of groups of leftists, greens, left-wing socialists and republicans, but was dominated by the Communist Party of Spain (PCE). The left-wing Carlist Party
and Humanist Party
were also founding members of the coalition but they parted ways in 1987.
(PSOE).
From 1986 to 1999, its leader was the general secretary of the PCE, Julio Anguita
, followed by Francisco Frutos
. From 2001 to 2008 was Gaspar Llamazares
who resigned following poor election results in 2008
. From 2008 on it has been Cayo Lara
. IU has an important support base in Andalusia
, Madrid
and Asturias
, following the communist base of the PCE.
Following the tradition of the Spanish left since the formation of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
(PSUC) in 1936 (as communists and socialists joined forces in Catalunya), IU doesn't have any organization of its own in Catalonia
. Until 1998 the referent of IU in Catalonia
was Initiative for Catalonia (Iniciativa per Catalunya, now known as IC-V). But IC eventually broke relations with IU. A split in PSUC followed and a new Catalonian alliance, United and Alternative Left
(Esquerra Unida i Alternativa, EUiA) was formed as the new Catalonian referent of IU.
IU contested the 2008 general election
in coalition with IC-V. The coalition got 963,040 votes (3.8%) and two MPs (one of them by IC-V), its worst ever result. The provincial district distribution and the D'Hondt method
, which regulates the allocation of seats in the Spanish Congress, favour the main lists in each electoral district. Since IU lists usually finish in third place or lower in each district, their share of seats in the Congress has usually been lower than their share of votes.
IU officially has around 70,000 members and nearly 2,700 councillors.
The 2011 local and regional elections
saw IU halt their long term decline with their first gains since 1996. In total IU increased their vote share by nearly 1% from 5.48% in 2007 to 6.33% in 2011, with the group gaining nearly 200 councillors and 12 members of regional assemblies. They suffered setbacks in Córdoba
, which they had governed since the 1970s (with the exception of a four year period in the 1990s) as the People's Party
gained control of the council. In the Asturian regional elections
, although IU gained a seat, a right wing administration replaced the previous PSOE-IU coalition. In the Spanish general election, 2011, the coalition made major gains - taking 6.9% of the vote and 11 seats, their best result since 1996.
Carlist Party
The Carlist Party is a Spanish political party that considers itself as a successor to the historical tradition of Carlism. The party was founded in 1969, although it remained illegal until 1977, following the death of the dictator Franco and the democratisation of Spain.The secretary-general of...
and Humanist Party
Humanist Party (Spain)
The Humanist Party is a Spanish political party founded in 1984 and is a member of the Humanist International.-External links:* *...
were also founding members of the coalition but they parted ways in 1987.
History
After the electoral fall of the PCE in 1982 (from 10% to 3%), IU slowly improved its results reaching 9% in 1993 (1,800,000 votes) and nearly 11% in 1996 (2,600,000 votes). From 1999 it went into decline, with its support slipping to 5% in 2000. In that election it signed a pact with the Socialist Workers' PartySpanish Socialist Workers' Party
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party is a social-democratic political party in Spain. Its political position is Centre-left. The PSOE is the former ruling party of Spain, until beaten in the elections of November 2011 and the second oldest, exceeded only by the Partido Carlista, founded in...
(PSOE).
From 1986 to 1999, its leader was the general secretary of the PCE, Julio Anguita
Julio Anguita
Julio Anguita González is a Spanish communist politician. He was Mayor of Córdoba, Spain from 1979 to 1986 and coordinator of United Left between 1989 and 1999 and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain from 1988 to 1998.-Biography:A member of a military family, he broke with familiar...
, followed by Francisco Frutos
Francisco Frutos
Francisco Frutos Gras is a Spanish politician who was since 1998 until 2009, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Spain ....
. From 2001 to 2008 was Gaspar Llamazares
Gaspar Llamazares
Gaspar Llamazares Trigo is a Spanish politician. He was the leader of the leftist coalition Izquierda Unida from 2001 to 2008, in the post of General Coordinator. He is a member of Communist Party of Spain ....
who resigned following poor election results in 2008
Spanish general election, 2008
Legislative elections for the Spanish Cortes Generales were held on March 9, 2008. The elections were for 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, and the 208 directly elected seats in the upper house, the Senate, determining the Prime Minister of Spain...
. From 2008 on it has been Cayo Lara
Cayo Lara
Cayo Lara Moya is a Spanish politician. He has been the leader of United Left since December 2008. He is also a member of the leadership of the Communist Party of Spain.-Early Years and Regional Leadership:...
. IU has an important support base in Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, following the communist base of the PCE.
Following the tradition of the Spanish left since the formation of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia
The Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia , was formed on July 23, 1936 through the unification of four left-wing groups; the Catalan Federation of Spanish Socialist Workers' Party , the Partit Comunista de Catalunya , the Unió Socialista de Catalunya and the...
(PSUC) in 1936 (as communists and socialists joined forces in Catalunya), IU doesn't have any organization of its own in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. Until 1998 the referent of IU in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
was Initiative for Catalonia (Iniciativa per Catalunya, now known as IC-V). But IC eventually broke relations with IU. A split in PSUC followed and a new Catalonian alliance, United and Alternative Left
United and Alternative Left
United and Alternative Left is a political party from Catalonia, Spain. EUiA has 4000 members and it is the Catalan correspondent of the Spain-wide United Left ....
(Esquerra Unida i Alternativa, EUiA) was formed as the new Catalonian referent of IU.
Spanish general election, 2008
Legislative elections for the Spanish Cortes Generales were held on March 9, 2008. The elections were for 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies, and the 208 directly elected seats in the upper house, the Senate, determining the Prime Minister of Spain...
in coalition with IC-V. The coalition got 963,040 votes (3.8%) and two MPs (one of them by IC-V), its worst ever result. The provincial district distribution and the D'Hondt method
D'Hondt method
The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...
, which regulates the allocation of seats in the Spanish Congress, favour the main lists in each electoral district. Since IU lists usually finish in third place or lower in each district, their share of seats in the Congress has usually been lower than their share of votes.
IU officially has around 70,000 members and nearly 2,700 councillors.
The 2011 local and regional elections
Spanish local and regional elections, 2011
Local and regional elections were held on 22 May 2011 in Spain. Local elections are held at once across all of Spain, while regional elections were held in 13 of Spain's 17 autonomous communities; Andalusia, Catalonia, Galicia, and the Basque Country have different electoral cycles.The days before...
saw IU halt their long term decline with their first gains since 1996. In total IU increased their vote share by nearly 1% from 5.48% in 2007 to 6.33% in 2011, with the group gaining nearly 200 councillors and 12 members of regional assemblies. They suffered setbacks in Córdoba
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
, which they had governed since the 1970s (with the exception of a four year period in the 1990s) as the People's Party
People's Party (Spain)
The People's Party is a conservative political party in Spain.The People's Party was a re-foundation in 1989 of the People's Alliance , a party led and founded by Manuel Fraga Iribarne, a former Minister of Tourism during Francisco Franco's dictatorship...
gained control of the council. In the Asturian regional elections
Elections to the General Council of the Principality of Asturias, 2011
The 2011 elections to the General Council of the Principality of Asturias were the eighth elections to the unicameral regional legislature of the Spanish autonomous community of Asturias. The elections were held on 22 May 2011 to elect the 45 members of the Assembly.Voting was on the basis of...
, although IU gained a seat, a right wing administration replaced the previous PSOE-IU coalition. In the Spanish general election, 2011, the coalition made major gains - taking 6.9% of the vote and 11 seats, their best result since 1996.
Federations of IU
- AndalusiaAndalusiaAndalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
: Izquierda Unida Los Verdes - Convocatoría por Andalucía (United Left/The Greens - Assembly for Andalusia) - AragonAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
: Izquierda Unida Aragón (United Left of Aragon) - AsturiasAsturiasThe Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
: Izquierda Xunida d'Asturies (United Left of Asturias) - Balearic IslandsBalearic IslandsThe Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
: Esquerra Unida de les Illes Balears (United Left of Balearic Islands) - Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
: Izquierda Unida de Canarias (United Left of the Canary Islands) - CantabriaCantabriaCantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
: Izquierda Unida de Cantabria (Cantabrian United Left) - Castilla-La Mancha: Izquierda Unida - Izquierda de Castilla-La Mancha (United Left - Castilla-La Mancha Left)
- Castilla y León: Izquierda Unida de Castilla y León (United Left of Castilla and León)
- CeutaCeutaCeuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
: Izquierda Unida de Ceuta (United Left of Ceuta) - EuskadiBasque Country (autonomous community)The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
: Izquierda Unida - Los Verdes: Ezker Anitza (United Left - The Greens: Plural Left) - ExtremaduraExtremaduraExtremadura is an autonomous community of western Spain whose capital city is Mérida. Its component provinces are Cáceres and Badajoz. It is bordered by Portugal to the west...
: Izquierda Unida - Federación de Extremadura (United Left - Extremadura Federation) - Galicia: Esquerda Unida-Izquierda Unida (United Left of Galicia)
- La Rioja: Izquierda Unida - La Rioja (United Left-La Rioja)
- MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
: Izquierda Unida de la Comunidad de Madrid (United Left of the Community of Madrid) - MelillaMelillaMelilla is a autonomous city of Spain and an exclave on the north coast of Morocco. Melilla, along with the Spanish exclave Ceuta, is one of the two Spanish territories located in mainland Africa...
: Izquierda Unida - Federación de Melilla (United Left - Melilla Federation) - MurciaMurcia-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
: Izquierda Unida - Región de Murcia (United Left - Region of Murcia) - Navarra: Izquierda Unida de Navarra - Nafarroako Ezker Batua (United Left of Navarra)
- Valencian CommunityValencian CommunityThe Valencian Community is an autonomous community of Spain located in central and south-eastern Iberian Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Valencia...
: Esquerra Unida del País Valencià (United Left of the Valencian Country)
External links
- Official website
- Izquierda Unida Los Verdes - Convocatoría por Andalucía
- Izquierda Unida Aragón
- Izquierda Xunida d'Asturies
- Izquierda Unida de Cantabria
- Izquierda Unida - Izquierda de Castilla-La Mancha
- Esquerda Unida-Izquierda Unida
- Esquerra Unida de les Illes Balears
- Izquierda Unida - La Rioja
- Izquierda Unida de la Comunidad de Madrid
- Izquierda Unida de Navarra - Nafarroako Ezker Batua
- Esquerra Unida del País Valencià