Results breakdown of the 1986 Spanish general election (Congress)

The 1986 Spanish general election was held on June 22, 1986, to elect the 3rd Cortes Generales of the Kingdom of Spain. This entry details the results breakdown specifically for the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados), the lower house of the Spanish parliament.

Overall Results:

The election resulted in a victory for the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) under Felipe González, although they lost their absolute majority obtained in the 1982 election. The results reflected a continuation of the political landscape established in the previous election but with some shifts in voter preferences.

Seat Distribution:

The Congress of Deputies has 350 seats, and the following is a breakdown of the seats won by the major parties:

• PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party): 184 seats
• AP–PDP–UL (People's Alliance - People's Democratic Party - Liberal Union): 105 seats
• CDS (Democratic and Social Centre): 19 seats
• CiU (Convergence and Union): 18 seats
• IU (United Left): 7 seats
• EAJ–PNV (Basque Nationalist Party): 6 seats
• HB (Herri Batasuna): 5 seats
• ERC (Republican Left of Catalonia): 5 seats
• Others: A small number of seats were distributed among other regional and smaller parties.

Vote Share:

While the seat distribution provides a clear picture of parliamentary power, the vote share demonstrates the overall support for each party across the country. The approximate vote shares for the major parties were:

• PSOE: Approximately 44%
• AP–PDP–UL: Approximately 26%
• CDS: Approximately 9%
• CiU: Approximately 5%
• IU: Approximately 5%

Analysis:

The results showed a consolidation of the PSOE's dominance, although their reduced majority necessitated negotiation and compromise with other parties to govern effectively. The AP–PDP–UL coalition, led by Manuel Fraga, remained the main opposition force. The rise of the CDS under Adolfo Suárez, the former Prime Minister during the transition to democracy, was also a significant development. Regional parties, such as CiU and EAJ-PNV, maintained their strongholds in their respective regions. The fragmented nature of the opposition facilitated PSOE governance despite lacking an absolute majority.