2015 Spanish general election#Senate

Mariano Rajoy won the 2011 general election in a landslide running on a platform that promised to bring a solution to the country's worsening economic situation, marked by soaring unemployment and an out-of-control public deficit. However, shortly after taking office, Rajoy's People's Party (PP) popularity in opinion polls began to erode after its U-turn on economic policy, which included the breaching of many election pledges.{{cite news |last=Castro |first=Irene |date=19 November 2013 |url=https://www.eldiario.es/politica/incumplimientos-electorales-mariano-rajoy_1_5160763.html |title=Diez incumplimientos electorales de Mariano Rajoy |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=7 October 2021}}

In its first months in power, Rajoy's government approved a series of tax rises,{{cite news |last=Elordi Cué |first=Carlos |date=31 December 2011 |url=https://elpais.com/diario/2011/12/31/espana/1325286001_850215.html |title=Rajoy aprueba el mayor recorte de la historia y una gran subida de impuestos |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} a harsh labour reform that allegedly cheapened dismissals{{cite news |last=Gómez |first=Manuel Vicente |date=10 February 2012 |url=https://elpais.com/economia/2012/02/10/actualidad/1328911729_685382.html |title=La reforma facilita y abarata el despido |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}—and which was met with widespread protests and two general strikes in March and November 2012{{cite news |date=9 March 2012 |agency=Agencias |url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/03/09/economia/1331290549.html |title=El 29 de marzo, huelga general |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Doncel |first1=Luis |last2=Gómez |first2=Manuel Vicente |date=17 October 2012 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2012/10/17/actualidad/1350490445_610476.html |title=Los sindicatos convocarán una huelga general para el 14 de noviembre |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Brussels / Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}—and an austere state budget for 2012.{{cite news |agency=Agencias |date=30 March 2012 |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1356363/0/consejo-ministros/anuncia/presupuestos-generales-2012/ |title=El Gobierno presenta los presupuestos generales con un recorte de 27.300 millones |language=es |newspaper=20 minutos |access-date=7 October 2021}} The crash of Bankia, one of the largest banks of Spain, in May 2012 resulted in a dramatic rise of the Spanish risk premium, and in June the country's banking system needed a bailout from the IMF.{{cite news |last1=Jiménez |first1=Miguel |last2=Pozzi |first2=Sandro |date=9 June 2012 |url=https://elpais.com/economia/2012/06/09/actualidad/1339193446_198561.html |title=El FMI adelanta el informe que aboca a España al rescate bancario |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid / New York |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Gragera de León |first=Flor |date=24 July 2012 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2012/07/23/actualidad/1343061683_005710.html |title=Los pasos hacia el escándalo de Bankia |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} A major spending cut of €65 billion followed in July 2012, including a VAT rise from 18% to 21% which the PP itself had opposed during its time in opposition after the previous Socialist government had already raised VAT to 18%.{{cite news |last=González |first=Jesús Sérvulo |date=11 July 2012 |url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2012/07/11/actualidad/1341987548_244376.html |title=El ajuste más duro de la democracia |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |date=13 July 2012 |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1538651/0/consejo-ministros/aprueba/recortes/ |title=El Gobierno aprueba quitar la paga extra esta Navidad a los funcionarios y la subida del IVA |language=es |newspaper=20 minutos |access-date=7 October 2021}} Additional spending cuts and legal reforms followed throughout 2012 and 2013, including cuts in budget credit lines for the health care and education systems, the implementation of a pharmaceutical copayment, a reform of the pension system which stopped guaranteeing the increase of pensioners' purchasing power accordingly to the consumer price index, the suppression of the bonus for public employees, or the withdrawal of public subsidies to the dependent people care system. Other measures, such as a fiscal amnesty in 2012 allowing tax evaders to regularize their situation by paying a 10% tax—later reduced to 3%—and no criminal penalty, had been previously rejected by the PP during its time in opposition.{{cite news |date=4 June 2012 |last1=Jiménez |first1=Miguel |url=https://elpais.com/economia/2012/06/04/actualidad/1338801663_804033.html |title=Las 15 preguntas clave sobre la amnistía fiscal del Gobierno |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} Most of these measures were not included in the PP 2011 election manifesto and, inversely, many of the pledges included within were not fulfilled. Rajoy argued that "reality" prevented him from fulfilling his programme and that he had been forced to adapt to the new economic situation he found upon his accession to government.{{cite news |date=21 December 2013 |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2008182/0/dos-anos-rajoy/balance-programa/gobierno/ |title=Dos años de Gobierno de Rajoy: recortes no anunciados y leyes que no estaban en el guión |language=es |newspaper=20 minutos |access-date=7 October 2021}}

In the domestic field, the 2011–2015 period was dominated by a perceived regression in social and political rights. Spending cuts on the health care and education systems had fueled an increase in inequality among those without enough financial resources to afford those services.{{cite news |last=Martínez |first=Silvia |date=18 March 2015 |url=https://www.elperiodico.com/es/sociedad/20150317/europa-recortes-derechos-espana-ayudas-sociales-4026791 |title=Europa alerta de que los recortes podan derechos en España |language=es |newspaper=El Periódico de Catalunya |location=Brussels |access-date=7 October 2021}} The government's authorization of the enforcement and increase of court fees, requiring the payment of between €50 and €750 to appeal to the courts, was dubbed as violating the rights of effective judicial protection and free legal assistance. The controversial fees would later be removed in early 2015.{{cite news |agency=Agencias |date=23 November 2012 |url=http://www.abc.es/espana/20121122/abci-gallardon-tasas-judiciales-201211221355.html |title=Gallardón defiende las tasas judiciales porque "van a garantizar más la justicia gratuita"|language=es |newspaper=ABC |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Blanco |first=Teresa |date=27 February 2015 |url=https://www.eleconomista.es/legislacion/noticias/6513317/02/15/El-Gobierno-elimina-las-tasas-judiciales-para-las-personas-fisicas.html |title=El Gobierno elimina para las personas físicas el polémico 'tasazo' de Gallardón |language=es |newspaper=El Economista |access-date=7 October 2021}} A new Education Law—the LOMCE—received heavy criticism from the Basque and Catalan regional governments, which dubbed it as a re-centralizer bill, as well as from social sectors which considered that it prompted segregation in primary schools. Another bill, the Citizen Security Law and dubbed the "gag law" by critics, was met with a global outcry because of it being seen as a cracking down on Spaniards' rights of freedom of assembly and expression, laying out strict guidelines on demonstrations—perceived to limit street protests—and steep fines to offenders.{{cite news |last=Kassam |first=Ashifa |date=12 March 2015 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/12/spain-security-law-protesters-freedom-expression |title=Spain puts 'gag' on freedom of expression as senate approves security law |language=en |newspaper=The Guardian |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Ejerique |first=Raquel |date=30 June 2015 |url=https://www.eldiario.es/sociedad/ley-mordaza-vigor-manana_1_2597665.html |title=Los siete derechos fundamentales que limita la 'Ley Mordaza' |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=7 October 2021}} Through 2013 to 2014, an attempt to amend the existing abortion law by a much stricter regulation allowing abortion only in cases of rape and of health risk to the mother{{cite news |date=20 December 2013 |last1=Calvo |first1=Vera Gutiérrez |last2=Rodríguez Sahuquillo |first2=María |url=https://elpais.com/sociedad/2013/12/20/actualidad/1387544028_883233.html |title=El Gobierno aprueba la ley del aborto más restrictiva de la democracia |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=20 December 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/20/spain-government-restrictive-abortion-law-opposition |title=Spain government approves restrictive abortion law despite opposition |language=en |newspaper=The Guardian |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} was thwarted due to public outrage and widespread criticism both from within and outside the PP itself,{{cite news |date=20 December 2013 |url=https://elpais.com/sociedad/2013/12/20/actualidad/1387547731_604471.html |title=La indignación ante la reforma de la ley del aborto, de las redes sociales a la calle |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/09/23/actualidad/1411473129_685551.html |title=Rajoy confirma la retirada de la ley del aborto por falta de consenso |language=es |newspaper=El País |date=23 September 2014 |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |date=23 September 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29322561 |title=Spain abortion: Rajoy scraps tighter law |language=en |publisher=BBC News |access-date=7 October 2021}} resulting in its proponent, Justice Minister Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, tendering his resignation.{{cite news |last1=Gutiérrez Calvo |first1=Vera |last2=Romero |first2=José Manuel |date=23 September 2014 |url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2014/09/23/actualidad/1411483106_012590.html |title=Rajoy deja caer al ministro Gallardón en busca del centro político |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Cruz |first=Marisa |date=23 September 2014 |url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2014/09/23/542188c922601d83538b458c.html |title=Gallardón se va de la política al ser desautorizado en público por Rajoy |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}

File:Protesta en contra del Partido Popular ante su sede en la calle Génova de Madrid (2 de febrero de 2013) (15).jpg HQs in Madrid after the eruption of the Bárcenas affair.]]

Political corruption became one of the focus issues for Spaniards in the polls after the Bárcenas affair erupted in early 2013, amid revelations that former PP treasurer Luis Bárcenas had used a slush fund to pay out monthly amounts to leading members of the party,{{cite news |last1=Urreiztieta |first1=Esteban |last2=Inda |first2=Eduardo |date=18 January 2013 |url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/01/18/espana/1358536985.html |title=Bárcenas pagó sobresueldos en negro durante años a parte de la cúpula del PP |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Inda |first1=Eduardo |last2=Urreiztieta |first2=Esteban |date=14 July 2013 |url=https://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2013/07/14/espana/1373779073.html |title=Los SMS entre Rajoy y Bárcenas |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} with further scandals rocking the PP for the remainder of its tenure. By late 2014, the sudden emergence of several episodes of corruption that had taken place over the previous years{{cite news |date=29 October 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mundo/noticias/2014/10/141028_espana_casos_corrupcion_ac |title=Los escándalos que revelan la dimensión de la corrupción en España |language=es |publisher=BBC Mundo |access-date=7 October 2021}} was compared to the Italian Tangentopoli in the 1990s.{{cite news |last=Juliana |first=Enric |date=28 October 2014 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20141028/54418335591/quiebra-moral-enric-juliana.html |title=La quiebra moral |language=es |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=7 October 2021}} Among these were a massive expenses scandal involving former Caja Madrid senior executives and advisers—including members from the PP, PSOE and IU parties and from Spain's main trade unions, UGT and CCOO—, who were accused of using undeclared "black" credit cards for private expenditures;{{cite news |date=6 October 2014 |last=de Barrón |first=Íñigo |url=https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2014/10/06/inenglish/1412589679_102975.html |title=Caja Madrid: a bottomless money pit for Spain's political parties? |language=en |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Pérez |first=Fernando Jesús |date=8 October 2014 |url=https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2014/10/08/inenglish/1412782397_179414.html |title=Ex-IMF chief targeted in Caja Madrid credit card investigation |language=en |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |date=8 October 2014 |url=https://www.ft.com/content/7ffee29a-4ede-11e4-b205-00144feab7de |title='Phantom' credit card scandal haunts Spanish elite |newspaper=Financial Times |access-date=7 October 2021}} revelations that the PP could have spent as much as €1.7 million of undeclared money on works on its national headquarters in Madrid between 2006 and 2008;{{cite news |last=Pérez |first=Fernando Jesús |date=24 October 2014 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/10/24/actualidad/1414159947_372469.html |title=El PP pagó otros 750.000 euros en b por obras en su sede central en 2006 |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} and the Punica case, a major scandal of public work contract kickbacks amounting at least €250 million and involving notable municipal and regional figures from both PSOE and PP, as well as a large number of politicians, councilors, officials and businessmen in the regions of Madrid, Murcia, Castile and León and Valencia.{{cite news |last1=Pérez |first1=Fernando Jesús |last2=Hernández |first2=José Antonio |date=27 October 2014 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/10/27/actualidad/1414402470_467582.html |title=El juez destapa la trama del 3% madrileño |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Marraco |first=Manuel |agency=Agencias |date=27 October 2014 |url=https://www.elmundo.es/espana/2014/10/27/544e15deca474154028b4574.html |title=51 detenidos y un fraude de 250 millones en ayuntamientos y CCAA |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} Ongoing investigations on the Gürtel scandal on the illegal financing of both the Madrilenian and Valencian branches of the People's Party brought down Health Minister Ana Mato, who was suspect from having benefited of some of the crimes allegedly committed by her former husband Jesús Sepúlveda, charged in the Gürtel case.{{cite news|url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2014/11/26/actualidad/1417003121_995645.html |title=Ana Mato y el PP se beneficiaron de los fondos delictivos de la red Gürtel |language=es |newspaper=El País |date=26 November 2014|last1=Pérez |first1=Fernando J. |last2=Romero |first2=José Manuel |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last=Elordi Cué |first=Carlos |date=26 November 2014 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/11/26/actualidad/1417012981_141230.html |title=Dimite Ana Mato para no hundir a Mariano Rajoy |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}

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The Monarchy had also come under public scrutiny as a result of a corruption scandal affecting Duke of Palma Iñaki Urdangarín, the Nóos case, and his spouse Cristina de Borbón, Infanta of Spain and daughter of King Juan Carlos I, for possible crimes of tax fraud and money laundering.{{cite news |last=Manresa |first=Andreu |date=3 April 2013 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2013/04/03/actualidad/1364988109_049327.html |title=El juez cita como imputada a la infanta Cristina en el 'caso Urdangarin' |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Palma de Mallorca |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |date=8 February 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26094035 |title=Spain's Princess Cristina in court over corruption case |language=en |publisher=BBC News |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |date=7 November 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29953560 |title=Tax trial confirmed for Spain's Princess Cristina |language=en |publisher=BBC News |access-date=7 October 2021}} These corruption allegations, coupled with other scandals—such as public anger at King Juan Carlos' elephant hunting trip to Botswana at the height of the economic crisis in 2012{{cite news |last=Tremlett |first=Giles |date=15 April 2012 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/apr/15/spain-king-juan-carlos-hunting |title=Spain's King Juan Carlos under fire over elephant hunting trip |language=en |newspaper=The Guardian |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}}—as well as his own health problems, had severely eroded the Spanish Royal Family's popularity among Spaniards,{{cite news |last=Garea |first=Fernando |date=2 June 2014 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/06/02/actualidad/1401704469_632570.html |title=La monarquía, en el peor momento de popularidad |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} and were said to have taken its toll on the monarch, who announced his abdication on his son Felipe—to become Felipe VI of Spain—in June 2014.{{cite news |date=2 June 2014 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27662301 |title=King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicates |language=en |publisher=BBC News |access-date=7 October 2021}}

The social response to the ongoing political and economic crisis was mixed. The 15-M Movement had resulted in an increase of street protests and demonstrations calling for a more democratic governmental system, a halt to spending cuts and tax increases and an overall rejection of Spain's two-party system formed by both PP and PSOE. Social mobilization channeled through various protest actions, such as "Surround the Congress" (Spanish for Rodea el Congreso), the so-called "Citizen Tides" (Mareas Ciudadanas) or the "Marches for Dignity" (Marchas de la Dignidad).{{cite news |agency=Agencias |date=25 September 2012 |url=https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1596702/0/convocatoria-25s/fuera-madrid/espana-mundo/ |title=El Congreso de los Diputados amanece blindado por la Policía por la protesta del 25-S |language=es |newspaper=20 minutos |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Uzal |first1=Virginia |last2=Giménez |first2=Luis |date=22 March 2014 |url=https://www.publico.es/actualidad/madrid-llena-dignidad-y-anochece.html |title=Madrid se llena de 'Dignidad' y anochece con cargas policiales |language=es |newspaper=Público |access-date=7 October 2021}}{{cite news |agency=Agencias |date=21 February 2015 |url=https://www.publico.es/actualidad/mareas-ciudadanas-manifestaran-este-domingo.html |title=Las Mareas Ciudadanas se manifestan este domingo en Madrid en contra de la troika |language=es |newspaper=Público |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} In Catalonia, the PP's rise to power and its perceived rightist stance were said to have been the final trigger for the independence movement to fire up. A 1.5-million strong demonstration in Barcelona on 11 September 2012 finally convinced the regional ruling Convergence and Union (CiU) of Artur Mas to switch to independence support, with a snap election being held in November 2012 resulting in a huge rise for pro-independence ERC and the CUP and a meltdown for Socialist support in the region. Finally, the PP decline and the PSOE inability to recover lost support paved the way for the rise of new parties in the national landscape, such as Podemos and Citizens (C's), which began to rise dramatically in opinion polls after 2014 European Parliament election. PSOE leader Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba resigned the day after the European election,{{cite news |last=Garea |first=Fernando |date=26 May 2014 |url=https://elpais.com/politica/2014/05/26/actualidad/1401102768_248408.html |title=Rubalcaba tira la toalla y convoca en julio un congreso extraordinario tras la debacle |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=7 October 2021}} being succeeded by Pedro Sánchez after a party leadership election in July 2014.{{cite news |last=B. García |first=Luis |date=13 July 2014 |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20140713/54411871432/pedro-sanchez-proclama-principio-fin-rajoy-presidente-gobierno.html |title=Pedro Sánchez proclama "el principio del fin de Mariano Rajoy como presidente del Gobierno" |language=es |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=7 October 2021}}

The Spanish {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}} were envisaged as an imperfect bicameral system. The Congress of Deputies had greater legislative power than the Senate, having the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a prime minister and to override Senate vetoes by an absolute majority of votes. Nonetheless, the Senate possessed a few exclusive (yet limited in number) functions—such as its role in constitutional amendment—which were not subject to the Congress' override.{{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. III, ch. I, art. 66}}.{{cite web |url=https://app.congreso.es/consti/constitucion/indice/sinopsis/sinopsis.jsp?art=66&tipo=2 |title=Sinopsis artículo 66 |language=es |publisher=Congress of Deputies |access-date=12 September 2020 |postscript=,}} summarizing {{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. III, ch. I, art. 66}}. Voting for the {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}} was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over 18 years of age and in full enjoyment of their political rights.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. I, art. 2}}.{{sfn|Carreras de Odriozola|Tafunell Sambola|2005|p=1077}} Additionally, Spaniards abroad were required to apply for voting before being permitted to vote, a system known as "begged" or expat vote ({{langx|es|Voto rogado}}).{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. VI, art. 75}}.{{cite web |last=Reig Pellicer |first=Naiara |date=16 December 2015 |url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/politics/article/spanish-elections-begging-for-the-right-to-vote.html |title=Spanish elections: Begging for the right to vote |website=cafebabel.co.uk |access-date=17 July 2017}}

For the Congress of Deputies, 348 seats were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of three percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied in each constituency. Seats were allocated to constituencies, corresponding to the provinces of Spain, with each being allocated an initial minimum of two seats and the remaining 248 being distributed in proportion to their populations. Ceuta and Melilla were allocated the two remaining seats, which were elected using plurality voting.{{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. III, ch. I, art. 68}}.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. II, ch. III, art. 162–164}}. The use of the electoral method resulted in an effective threshold based on the district magnitude and the distribution of votes among candidacies.{{cite web |last=Gallagher |first=Michael |date=30 July 2012 |url=http://www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/staff/michael_gallagher/ElSystems/Docts/effthresh.php |title=Effective threshold in electoral systems |publisher=Trinity College, Dublin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730092518/http://www.tcd.ie/Political_Science/staff/michael_gallagher/ElSystems/Docts/effthresh.php |access-date=22 July 2017 |archive-date=30 July 2017}}

As a result of the aforementioned allocation, each Congress multi-member constituency was entitled the following seats:{{cite journal |journal=Boletín Oficial del Estado |issue=257 |date=27 October 2015 |pages=100784–100786 |issn=0212-033X |title=Real Decreto 977/2015, de 26 de octubre, de disolución del Congreso de los Diputados y del Senado y de convocatoria de elecciones |url=https://www.boe.es/boe/dias/2015/10/27/pdfs/BOE-A-2015-11505.pdf |language=es}}

For the Senate, 208 seats were elected using an open list partial block voting system, with electors voting for individual candidates instead of parties. In constituencies electing four seats, electors could vote for up to three candidates; in those with two or three seats, for up to two candidates; and for one candidate in single-member districts. Each of the 47 peninsular provinces was allocated four seats, whereas for insular provinces, such as the Balearic and Canary Islands, districts were the islands themselves, with the larger—Majorca, Gran Canaria and Tenerife—being allocated three seats each, and the smaller—Menorca, Ibiza–Formentera, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, El Hierro, Lanzarote and La Palma—one each. Ceuta and Melilla elected two seats each. Additionally, autonomous communities could appoint at least one senator each and were entitled to one additional senator per each million inhabitants.{{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. III, ch. I, art. 69}}.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. II, ch. III, art. 162 & 165–166}}.

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 legislature's term were to be covered by the successive candidates in the list and, when needed, by the designated substitutes, of which the list could include up to ten.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. VI, art. 46 & 48}}.

The term of each chamber of the {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}}—the Congress and the Senate—expired four years from the date of their previous election, unless they were dissolved earlier. The election decree was required to be issued no later than the twenty-fifth day prior to the date of expiry of parliament and published on the following day in the Official State Gazette (BOE), with election day taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. V, art. 42}}. The previous election was held on 20 November 2011, which meant that the legislature's term would expire on 20 November 2015. The election decree was required to be published in the BOE no later than 27 October 2015, with the election taking place on the fifty-fourth day from publication, setting the latest possible election date for the {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}} on Sunday, 20 December 2015.

The prime minister had the prerogative to propose the monarch to dissolve both chambers at any given time—either jointly or separately—and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no state of emergency was in force and that dissolution did not occur before one year had elapsed since the previous one.{{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. IV, art. 115–116}}. Additionally, both chambers were to be dissolved and a new election called if an investiture process failed to elect a prime minister within a two-month period from the first ballot.{{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. IV, art. 99}}. Barred this exception, there was no constitutional requirement for simultaneous elections to the Congress and the Senate. Still, as of {{Currentyear}}, there has been no precedent of separate elections taking place under the 1978 Constitution.

In May 2014, the Spanish newspaper ABC disclosed that the government was considering whether it was possible for a general election to be upheld until early 2016, supported on an ambiguous legal interpretation on the date of expiry of the {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}}.{{cite news |last=Alcáraz |first=Mayte |date=13 May 2014 |title=Rajoy estudia agotar el plazo legal para que las elecciones sean en 2016 |url=http://www.abc.es/espana/20140513/abci-rajoy-elecciones-201405121049.html |language=es |newspaper=ABC |location=Madrid |access-date=12 July 2017}} In September 2014, the Spanish media Voz Pópuli and El Plural further inquired on the possibility that the PP cabinet would be planning to delay the legislature's expiry by as much as possible, not holding a new election until February 2016.{{cite news |last=Maqueda |first=Antonio |date=22 September 2014 |title=El PP se plantea retrasar las elecciones hasta febrero de 2016 a la espera de una recuperación más fuerte y estable |url=http://www.vozpopuli.com/espana/Elecciones-Partido_Popular_PP-Recuperacion_0_736726345.html |language=es |newspaper=Voz Pópuli |access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite news |date=22 September 2014 |title=La vicepresidenta encarga informes jurídicos para retrasar las elecciones generales a 2016 |url=http://www.elplural.com/2014/09/22/la-vicepresidenta-encarga-informes-juridicos-para-retrasar-las-elecciones-generales-a-2016/ |language=es |newspaper=El Plural |access-date=12 July 2017}} However, legal reports commissioned by the government showed that the deadline for dissolving the Cortes and triggering a general election would be 26 October 2015, meaning that, with the election decree being published on the following day, an election could not be held later than 20 December. An opinion article published in Público on 8 December 2014 suggested that the probable date for the election would then be either on 25 October or on a Sunday in November 2015, not counting All Saints' Day.{{cite news |last=Sánchez |first=Manuel |date=8 December 2014 |title=A once meses de las elecciones generales... o menos |url=http://www.publico.es/politica/560437/a-once-meses-de-las-elecciones-generales-o-menos |language=es |newspaper=Público |access-date=12 July 2017}}

After the 2015 local and regional elections, it was suggested that the general election would presumably be held on either 22 or 29 November.{{cite news |title=Rajoy maneja los días 22 ó 29 de noviembre para las elecciones generales |date=27 May 2015 |url=http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-rajoy-maneja-dias-22-29-noviembre-elecciones-generales-20150527140250.html |publisher=Europa Press |location=Madrid |access-date=12 July 2017}}{{cite news |date=27 May 2015 |title=Rajoy planea convocar las elecciones generales el 22 o 29 de noviembre |url=http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/politica/rajoy-abre-puerta-cambios-gobierno-tras-batacazo-del-24-m-4222738 |newspaper=El Periódico de Catalunya |location=Madrid |access-date=12 July 2017}} However, once it was confirmed that the government intended for the approval of the 2016 budget before the election, it was strongly implied that polling day would have to be delayed until December to allow for completion of the budgetary parliamentary procedure, with either 13 or 20 December being regarded as the only legally possible dates for an election to be held.{{cite news |date=4 August 2015 |title=La aprobación de los Presupuestos lleva las elecciones generales hasta el 13 de diciembre |url=http://www.libertaddigital.com/espana/2015-08-04/la-aprobacion-de-los-presupuestos-lleva-las-elecciones-generales-hasta-el-13-de-diciembre-1276554282/ |language=es |newspaper=Libertad Digital |access-date=12 July 2017}} Finally, during an interview on 1 October, Rajoy announced that the election would be held on 20 December, the latest possible date allowed under Spanish law.{{cite news |last=Casqueiro |first=Javier |date=1 October 2015 |title=Rajoy anuncia que las elecciones generales serán el 20 de diciembre |url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/10/01/actualidad/1443726596_360140.html |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=12 July 2017}} Being held 4 years and 1 month after the 2011 election, this was the longest time-span between two general elections since the Spanish transition to democracy.{{cite news |last=Jiménez Gálvez |first=José María |date=1 October 2015 |title=Rajoy fija el periodo más largo de la democracia sin elecciones generales |url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/10/01/actualidad/1443726925_551877.html |language=es |newspaper=El País |location=Madrid |access-date=12 July 2017}}

The {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}} were officially dissolved on 27 October 2015 after the publication of the dissolution decree in the BOE, setting the election date for 20 December and scheduling for both chambers to reconvene on 13 January 2016.

The tables below show the composition of the parliamentary groups in both chambers at the time of dissolution.{{cite web |url=https://www.historiaelectoral.com/grups.html |title=Grupos Parlamentarios en el Congreso de los Diputados y el Senado |language=es |website=Historia Electoral.com |access-date=29 October 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.historiaelectoral.com/senado7.html |title=Composición del Senado 1977-{{year}} |language=es |website=Historia Electoral.com |access-date=29 October 2022}}

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Spanish citizens of age and with the legal capacity to vote could run for election, provided that they were not sentenced to imprisonment by a final court's decision nor convicted by a judgement, even if not yet final, which imposed a penalty of forfeiture of eligibility or of specific disqualification or suspension from public office under specific offences: rebellion, terrorism or other crimes against the state. Other general causes of ineligibility were imposed on members of the Spanish royal family; the president and members of the Constitutional Court, the General Council of the Judiciary, the Supreme Court, the Council of State, the Court of Auditors and the Economic and Social Council; the Ombudsman; the State's Attorney General; high-ranking members—undersecretaries, secretaries-general, directors-general and chiefs of staff—of Spanish government departments, the Prime Minister's Office, government delegations, the Social Security and other government agencies; heads of diplomatic missions in foreign states or international organizations; judges and public prosecutors in active service; Armed Forces and police corps personnel in active service; members of electoral commissions; the chair of RTVE; the director of the Electoral Register Office; the governor and deputy governor of the Bank of Spain; the chairs of the Official Credit Institute and other official credit institutions; and members of the Nuclear Safety Council; as well as a number of territorial-level officers in the aforementioned government bodies and institutions being barred from running, during their tenure of office, in constituencies within the whole or part of their respective area of jurisdiction.{{harvp|Const. Esp.|1978|loc=tit. III, ch. I, art. 70}}.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. II, art. 6}}. Disqualification provisions for the Cortes Generales extended to any employee of a foreign state and to members of regional governments, as well as the impossibility of running simultaneously as candidate for both the Congress and Senate.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. II, ch. I, art. 154}}.

The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition 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 at least one percent of the electorate in the constituencies for which they sought election, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates. Concurrently, parties, federations or coalitions that had not obtained a mandate in either chamber of the Cortes at the preceding election were required to secure the signature of at least 0.1 percent of electors in the aforementioned constituencies.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. VI, art. 44 & tit. II, ch. V, art. 169}}. Additionally, a balanced composition of men and women was required in the lists of candidates, so that candidates of either sex made up at least 40 percent of the total composition.{{harvp|LOREG|1985|loc=tit. I, ch. VI, art. 44 bis}}.

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

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The People's Party (PP) chose to continue its electoral alliance with the Aragonese Party (PAR) under which it had already won the general election in Aragon in 2011.{{cite news |date=5 November 2015 |title=Rajoy firma en Zaragoza el pacto de coalición con el PAR ante el 20D |url=https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/noticias/aragon/rajoy-firma-zaragoza-pacto-coalicion-par-20d_1064955.html |language=es |newspaper=El Periódico de Aragón |access-date=7 May 2016}} In Asturias, an alliance with Asturias Forum (FAC)—former PP member Francisco Álvarez Cascos's party—was reached. Hastened by FAC's vote collapsing in the 2015 Asturian regional election, this was the first time both parties contested an election together since Cascos's party split in 2011.{{cite news |date=5 November 2015 |title=Rajoy anuncia que el PP irá en coalición con el partido de Cascos en Asturias para las elecciones generales |url=http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2015/11/05/563bb22cca474176348b464f.html |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |access-date=9 February 2020}} An agreement with Navarrese People's Union (UPN) was also reached, after a period of negotiations in which the regional party had considered to contest the general election on its own in Navarre.{{cite news |date=30 October 2015 |title=UPN y PP concurrirán juntos a las próximas elecciones generales |url=http://www.diariodenavarra.es/noticias/navarra/mas_navarra/2015/10/30/upn_concurriran_juntos_las_proximas_elecciones_generales_311356_2061.html |language=es |newspaper=Diario de Navarra |access-date=9 February 2020}} For the Senate, the PP also aligned itself with the Fuerteventura Municipal Assemblies (AMF) to contest the election in the Senate district of Fuerteventura.{{cite news |date=13 November 2015 |title=PP y AMF reeditan la coalición para acudir juntos al Senado por Fuerteventura |url=http://www.eldiario.es/canariasahora/especial/generales_2015/PP-AMF-coalicion-Senado-Fuerteventura_0_451805776.html |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=9 February 2020}}

Meanwhile, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and New Canaries (NCa) both announced they would contest the general election together in the Canary Islands. NCa had already contested the 2008 and 2011 elections before: in 2008 they stood alone and won no seats, while in 2011 they won 1 seat as a result of an alliance with Canarian Coalition (CCa), alliance which they chose not to continue in 2015.{{cite news |last1=Santana |first1=Txema |date=18 October 2015 |title=El PSOE acudirá a las generales en coalición con Nueva Canarias |url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/10/18/actualidad/1445177987_248479.html |language=es |newspaper=El País |access-date=9 February 2020}} Extremaduran Coalition and United Extremadura broke up their coalitions with both PSOE and PP, respectively, and chose to contest the general together under a single joint list, Extremeños (Spanish for "Extremadurans").{{cite news |date=12 November 2015 |url=http://www.eldiario.es/eldiarioex/politica/Extremadura-Unida-Extremenos-coalicion-generales_0_451455993.html |title=Extremadura Unida y Extremeños pactan una coalición para ir juntos en las generales |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=9 February 2020}}

In order to contest the general election, Podemos set up an extensive alliance system in several autonomous communities with other parties. After the negative results of the Catalunya Sí que es Pot alliance in the September Catalan election, Podemos, Initiative for Catalonia Greens (ICV) and United and Alternative Left (EUiA) reached an agreement with Barcelona en Comú—Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau's party—to form a joint list to contest the general election in Catalonia: En Comú Podem (Catalan for In Common We Can). The coalition was aimed at mirroring Colau's success in the 2015 Barcelona City Council election at Catalan level;{{cite news |date=29 October 2015 |url=http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2015/10/29/56320c6122601d70658b461a.html |title=Ada Colau impone a Pablo Iglesias su candidato y la marca 'En Comú' por delante del nombre de Podemos |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |access-date=9 February 2020}} if successful, it was planned to be maintained permanently for future electoral contests.{{cite news |date=1 December 2015 |url=http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/politica/iglesias-colau-buscan-sellar-una-coalicion-permanente-catalunya-tras-20-d-4714891 |title=Pablo Iglesias y Ada Colau buscan sellar una coalición permanente en Catalunya tras el 20-D |language=es |newspaper=El Periódico de Catalunya |access-date=9 February 2020}} In Galicia, Podemos, Anova and United Left (EU) merged into the En Marea ticket (Galician for In Tide). Such a coalition, which represented a qualitative leap from the Galician Left Alternative (AGE) coalition in the 2012 Galician regional election, was aimed at channeling the results of the local "mareas" ("tides") that succeeded throughout Galicia's largest cities in the May local elections. The coalition also received support from those local alliances, such as Marea Atlántica, Compostela Aberta or Ferrol en Común.{{cite news |date=7 November 2015 |url=http://www.europapress.es/galicia/noticia-podemos-anova-eu-registran-coalicion-marea-pactan-pablo-iglesias-candidato-presidente-20151106225452.html |title=Podemos, Anova y EU registran su coalición En Marea |language=es |publisher=Europa Press |access-date=9 February 2020}}

For the Valencian Community, the És el moment alliance (Valencian for It is Time) was created as a result of the agreement between Podemos and Compromís, with a strong role from Valencian deputy premier Mònica Oltra.{{cite news |date=6 November 2015 |url=http://www.publico.es/politica/y-compromis-cierran-acuerdo-20.html |title=Podemos y Compromís cierran su acuerdo para el 20-D en Valencia |language=es |newspaper=Público |access-date=9 February 2020}}{{cite news |date=7 November 2015 |url=http://www.elmundo.es/comunidad-valenciana/2015/11/06/563cabb222601db94c8b45da.html |title=Compromís impone su nombre en el pacto con Podemos |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |access-date=9 February 2020}} United Left of the Valencian Country (EUPV) had also entered talks to enter the alliance, but left after disagreements with both Podemos and Compromís during negotiations.{{cite news |date=6 November 2015 |url=http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/valencia/20151106/54438626186/compromis-y-podemos-se-presentaran-al-20d-en-coalicion-sin-eupv.html |title=Compromís y Podemos se presentarán al 20D en coalición sin EUPV |language=es |newspaper=La Vanguardia |access-date=9 February 2020}} Additionally, Podemos was to contest the general election in the province of Huesca alongside segments of Now in Common within the "Ahora Alto Aragón en Común" coalition (Spanish for Now Upper Aragon in Common).{{cite news |date=17 October 2015 |url=http://www.eldiario.es/aragon/politica/Ahora-Comun-Podemos-presentaran-Huesca_0_442356133.html |title=Ahora en Común y Podemos se presentarán a las elecciones generales con una lista única en Huesca |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=9 February 2020}} In Navarre, all four Podemos, Geroa Bai, EH Bildu and I-E coalesced under the Cambio-Aldaketa umbrella for the Senate, aiming at disputing first place regionally to the UPN–PP alliance. The agreement was not extended to the Congress election, where all four parties ran separately.

In Catalonia and Galicia, Popular Unity (IU–UPeC) did not contest the election as such. The respective regional United Left branches joined En Marea and En Comú Podem, which supported Podemos at the national level. While a nationwide coalition between Podemos and IU had been considered, Podemos did not wish to assume IU's internal issues, and United Left candidate Alberto Garzón had refused to leave IU to integrate Podemos' lists.{{cite news |date=6 October 2015 |url=http://www.eldiario.es/juanlusanchez/confluencia-Pablo-Iglesias-Alberto-Garzon_6_438566164.html |title=Alberto Garzón no quiere ser el enterrador y Pablo Iglesias no quiere ser el enfermero |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=9 February 2020}} On the other hand, environmentalist party Equo was successful at reaching an agreement with Podemos, accepting to renounce their label and integrating themselves within Podemos' lists.{{cite news |date=6 October 2015 |url=http://www.eldiario.es/politica/Podemos-Euskadi-Juan-Lopez-Uralde_0_431857725.html |title=Uralde se perfila como cabeza de lista de Podemos y Equo en Euskadi para las generales |language=es |newspaper=eldiario.es |access-date=9 February 2020}}

After the dissolution of the Convergence and Union (CiU) federation in Catalonia, Democratic Convergence of Catalonia (CDC) joined Democrats of Catalonia and Reagrupament within the Democracy and Freedom alliance after the failure of talks with Republican Left of Catalonia to continue the Junts pel Sí coalition for the general election.{{cite news |date=30 October 2015 |url=http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/politica/cdc-erc-oficializan-iran-por-separado-20d-4631737 |title=CDC y ERC oficializan que irán por separado el 20-D |language=es |newspaper=El Periódico de Catalunya |access-date=9 February 2020}}{{cite news |date=6 November 2015 |url=http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/politica/cdc-concurre-generales-nombre-democracia-i-llibertat-4649829 |title=CDC concurrirá a las generales bajo el nombre de Democràcia i Llibertat |language=es |newspaper=El Periódico de Catalunya |access-date=9 February 2020}} CDC's former ally, Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida's Democratic Union of Catalonia (UDC), chose to contest the election alone despite losing its parliamentary presence in the Parliament of Catalonia after the 2015 regional election.{{cite news |last1=Baquero |first1=Camilo S. |date=19 October 2015 |url=http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2015/10/17/catalunya/1445077960_400183.html |title=Duran Lleida repetirá como candidato en plena crisis de Unió |language=es |newspaper=El País |access-date=9 February 2020}}

The key dates are listed below (all times are CET. The Canary Islands used WET (UTC+0) instead):{{cite web |url=http://www.juntaelectoralcentral.es/cs/jec/documentos/GENERALES_2015_Calendario.pdf |title=Elecciones Generales 20 de diciembre de 2015. Calendario Electoral |language=es |website=Central Electoral Commission |access-date=12 July 2017}}

• 26 October: The election decree is issued with the countersign of the Prime Minister after deliberation in the Council of Ministers, ratified by the King.
• 27 October: Formal dissolution of the {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}} and official start of ban period for the organization of events for the inauguration of public works, services or projects.
• 30 October: Initial constitution of provincial and zone electoral commissions.
• 6 November: Deadline for parties and federations intending to enter in coalition to inform the relevant electoral commission.
• 16 November: Deadline for parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates to the relevant electoral commission.
• 18 November: Submitted lists of candidates are provisionally published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
• 21 November: Deadline for citizens entered in the Register of Absent Electors Residing Abroad (CERA) and for citizens temporarily absent from Spain to apply for voting.
• 22 November: Deadline for parties, federations, coalitions and groupings of electors to rectify irregularities in their lists.
• 23 November: Official proclamation of valid submitted lists of candidates.
• 24 November: Proclaimed lists are published in the BOE.
• 4 December: Official start of electoral campaigning.
• 10 December: Deadline to apply for postal voting.
• 15 December: Official start of legal ban on electoral opinion polling publication, dissemination or reproduction and deadline for CERA citizens to vote by mail.
• 16 December: Deadline for postal and temporarily absent voters to issue their votes.
• 18 December: Last day of official electoral campaigning and deadline for CERA citizens to vote in a ballot box in the relevant consular office or division.
• 19 December: Official 24-hour ban on political campaigning prior to the general election (reflection day).
• 20 December: Polling day (polling stations open at 9 am and close at 8 pm or once voters present in a queue at/outside the polling station at 8 pm have cast their vote). Counting of votes starts immediately.
• 23 December: General counting of votes, including the counting of CERA votes.
• 26 December: Deadline for the general counting of votes to be carried out by the relevant electoral commission.
• 4 January: Deadline for elected members to be proclaimed by the relevant electoral commission.
• 14 January: Deadline for both chambers of the {{lang|es|Cortes Generales|italic=no}} to be re-assembled (the election decree determines this date, which for the 2015 election was set for 13 January).
• 13 February: Maximum deadline for definitive results to be published in the BOE.

A total of four debates involving the leaders of at least two of the four parties topping opinion polls (PP, PSOE, Podemos and C's) were held throughout the pre-campaign and campaign periods.

The first debate was organized by the Demos Association and held in the Charles III University of Madrid on 27 November. The leaders of the four main parties were invited, but in the end only Pablo Iglesias and Albert Rivera attended.{{cite web|url=http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-iglesias-rivera-iran-debate-universitarios-emplaza-rajoy-sanchez-20151105120754.html |title=Iglesias and Rivera will attend a debate before university students to which Rajoy and Sánchez are also invited |language=es |work=Europa Press |date=5 November 2015}} The debate was broadcast live on YouTube.{{cite web|url=http://www.asociaciondemos.org/#!blank/v34wl |title=Spain to Debate |language=es |work=Asociación Demos |access-date=24 November 2015}}

The second debate was held on 30 November. Organized by El País newspaper, it was broadcast live entirely through the websites of El País and Cinco Días, the Cadena SER radio station and on the 13 TV television channel. Pedro Sánchez, as well as Iglesias and Rivera, attended the debate. Mariano Rajoy (PP) was also invited to the debate but declined the offer.{{cite news|url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/11/06/actualidad/1446837878_714795.html |title=The first digital debate of democracy, on day 30 |language=es |work=El País |date=6 November 2015|last1=Gómez |first1=Rosario G. }}{{cite web|url=http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-sanchez-rivera-iglesias-protagonistas-primer-debate-electoral-internet-proximo-30-noviembre-20151112114551.html |title=Sánchez, Rivera and Iglesias, protagonists of the first electoral debate on Internet on the next 30 November |language=es |work=Europa Press |date=12 November 2015}} According to the organizer, PP proposed the presence of Deputy PM Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría instead but it was refused, as she "was not the PP candidate for PM".{{cite news|url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2015/11/24/actualidad/1448400833_952485.html |title=EL PAÍS did not accept Santamaría in its debate with party leaders |language=es |work=El País |date=25 November 2015|last1=Gómez |first1=Rosario G. |last2=Casqueiro |first2=Javier }} A poll conducted online immediately after the debate by El País to its readers showed Iglesias winning with 47.0%, followed by Rivera with 28.9% and Sánchez with 24.1%.{{cite news|url=http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/11/30/media/1448906918_658286.html |title=The winner of the debate and mentions between candidates |language=es |work=El País |date=30 November 2015}}

A third, televised debate was organized by Atresmedia, held on 7 December and broadcast live simultaneously on its Antena 3 and laSexta TV channels and on the Onda Cero radio station. Rajoy had also been invited to the debate, but the PP announced that Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría would attend in his place instead.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/noticias/atresmedia-vuelve-hacer-historia-debate-cuatro-principales-partidos_2015112400205.html |title=ATRESMEDIA makes history again with the most expected debate by citizens with the four main parties on 7D |language=es |work=laSexta |date=24 November 2015 |access-date=24 November 2015 |archive-date=2 December 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20151202234105/http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/noticias/atresmedia-vuelve-hacer-historia-debate-cuatro-principales-partidos_2015112400205.html |url-status=dead }} The audience for the debate averaged 9.2 million, peaking at more than 10 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.vertele.com/noticias/el-debate-decisivo-lo-mas-visto-del-ano-en-tv-con-92-millones-de-espectadores-48-2/ |title='The Decisive Debate', the most watched broadcast of the year on TV with 9.2 million viewers (48.2%) |language=es |work=Vertele.com |date=8 December 2015}} Online polls conducted immediately after the debate by major newspapers coincided in showing Iglesias winning,{{cite web |url=http://www.bluper.es/noticias/pablo-iglesias-ganador-debate-decisivo-atresmedia |title=Pablo Iglesias, winner of Atresmedia's 'decisive debate' |language=es |work=El Huffington Post |date=8 December 2015 |access-date=8 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208201742/http://www.bluper.es/noticias/pablo-iglesias-ganador-debate-decisivo-atresmedia |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=dead }} while political pundits and journalists pointed on his strong performance.{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/blogs/elmundo/moncloa-confidencial/2015/12/08/soraya-decisiva-e-iglesias-ganador-moral.html |title=Soraya 'decisive' and Iglesias moral winner |language=es |work=El Mundo |date=8 December 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.elespanol.com/elecciones/elecciones-generales/20151208/85241481_0.html |title=El Español ratings: Iglesias (7) wins and Sánchez (5.3) ranks fourth |language=es |work=El Español |date=8 December 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://cadenaser.com/ser/2015/12/08/politica/1449561195_538052.html |title=The PP admits privately that Pablo Iglesias won the debate |language=es |work=Cadena SER |date=8 December 2015}}

A fourth, final debate, organized by the TV Academy, was held on 14 December. The signal of the debate was offered to all interested media. Among others, nationwide TV channels La 1, Canal 24 Horas, Antena 3, laSexta and 13 TV broadcast the debate live.{{cite web |url=http://www.bluper.es/noticias/lasexta-marca-diferencia-debate-bipartidista-13-cadenas |title=La Sexta gives the edge in the 'bipartisan debate' aired on 13 channels |language=es |work=El Huffington Post |date=14 December 2015 |access-date=14 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222102535/http://www.bluper.es/noticias/lasexta-marca-diferencia-debate-bipartidista-13-cadenas |archive-date=22 December 2015 |url-status=dead }} Iglesias and Rivera were not invited to the debate, with only Rajoy and Sánchez participating.{{cite web|url=http://www.levante-emv.com/elecciones/2015/11/24/rajoy-sanchez-debatiran-cara-cara/1345914.html |title=Rajoy and Sánchez will debate face-to-face on 14 December |language=es |work=Levante-EMV |date=24 November 2015}} The audience for the debate averaged 9.7 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.vertele.com/noticias/lasexta-rompe-el-bipartidismo-de-antena-3-y-la-1-y-gana-el-debate-que-vieron-mas-de-9-2-millones/ |title=El debate Rajoy – Sánchez, lo más visto del año con 9.7 millones y victoria de laSexta |trans-title=The Rajoy-Sánchez debate, the most watched broadcast of the year with 9.7 million and victory of laSexta |language=es |work=Vertele.com |date=15 December 2015}} A poll conducted by Atresmedia immediately after the debate showed 34.5% saying that "None of them" won, followed by Sánchez with 33.7%, Rajoy with 28.8% and "Both" with 3.0%.{{cite web |url=http://www.antena3.com/especiales/noticias/elecciones-generales/2015/noticias/sondeo-atresmedia-345-vota-que-ninguno-dos-candidatos-ganado_2015121500004.html |title=Atresmedia poll: 34.5% vote "none of them" candidates has won |language=es |work=Antena3.com |date=15 December 2015 |access-date=15 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217011114/http://www.antena3.com/especiales/noticias/elecciones-generales/2015/noticias/sondeo-atresmedia-345-vota-que-ninguno-dos-candidatos-ganado_2015121500004.html |archive-date=17 December 2015 |url-status=dead }}

;Opinion polls

Opinion polls heading into the campaign had shown the PP firmly in first position, with both PSOE and C's tied for second place and Podemos trailing in fourth. However, as the campaign started and election day neared, Podemos numbers had begun to rebound while C's slipped. Podemos centered its campaign around the slogan of "remontada" (Spanish for "comeback"), trying to convey voters a message of illusion and optimism.{{cite web|url=http://www.europapress.es/nacional/noticia-podemos-llega-elecciones-estado-euforia-exitosa-campana-remontada-20151219100335.html |title=Podemos arrives to the election in an euphoria state after a successful "comeback" campaign |language=es |work=Europa Press |date=19 December 2015}} After the Atresmedia televised debate on 7 December—in which Iglesias was said to have outperformed all other three with his final address{{cite web |url=http://noticias.lainformacion.com/espana/pablo-iglesias-borda-el-cierre-del-debate-con-un-mensaje-tajante-si-se-puede_a45O7JpX3aiIfY8T8H8r57/ |title=Pablo Iglesias excels in his final debate address with a blunt message: "Yes we can" |language=es |work=La Información |date=7 December 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313051552/http://noticias.lainformacion.com/espana/pablo-iglesias-borda-el-cierre-del-debate-con-un-mensaje-tajante-si-se-puede_a45O7JpX3aiIfY8T8H8r57/ |archive-date=13 March 2016 }}—and following a series of gaffes by C's leaders that had affected their party's campaign,{{cite news|url=http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2016/01/07/actualidad/1452196860_809336.html |title=Citizens recognizes strategic mistakes in the 20-D campaign |language=es |work=El País |date=8 January 2016 |last1=Mateo |first1=Juan José }} Podemos experienced a surge in opinion polls. By Monday 14 December it had reached a statistical tie with C's, and kept growing and approaching the PSOE, vying for second place, in the polls conducted—but unpublished by Spanish media—after the legal ban on opinion polls during the last week of campaigning had entered into force.{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/blogs/elmundo/moncloa-confidencial/2015/12/20/gano-la-remontada-de-podemos-y-el-pp.html |title=Podemos' "comeback" won it (and the PP) |language=es |work=El Mundo |date=20 December 2015}} On 18 December, the final day of campaigning, Podemos staged a massive rally in la Fonteta arena in Valencia, in support of the Compromís–Podemos–És el moment coalition and as the closing point of their campaign. With a capacity of over 9,000 people, 2,000 were left outside as the interior was entirely filled.{{cite web|url=http://www.elmundo.es/comunidad-valenciana/2015/12/18/56745d9a22601d72288b456c.html |title=Podemos and Compromís fill 'la Fonteta' |language=es |work=El Mundo |date=18 December 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.es/espana/comunidad-valenciana/abci-fonteta-queda-pequena-para-mitin-central-compromis-podemos-201512182212_noticia.html |title='La Fonteta' is left small for the central rally of Compromís-Podemos |language=es |work=ABC |date=18 December 2015}} It was noted by some media as a remarkable feat, as the PSOE had been unable to entirely fill the same place just a few days earlier on 13 December.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.es/espana/comunidad-valenciana/abci-compromis-podemos-aseguran-lleno-pabellon-no-logro-completar-psoe-201512161056_noticia.html |title=Pablo Iglesias sells out all tickets in the place that Pedro Sánchez could not fill in Valencia |language=es |work=ABC |date=16 December 2015}}

The most notable incident during the electoral campaign was an attack on Mariano Rajoy during a campaign event in Pontevedra on 16 December. At 18:50, while walking with Development Minister Ana Pastor in the vicinity of the Pilgrim Church, a 17-year-old approached him and punched him in the temple. The assailant was restrained by the Prime Minister's security guards and was subsequently transferred to the police station in the city. Rajoy, who was red-faced and stunned for a few seconds, continued to walk without his glasses, broken during the assault.{{cite web|url=http://cadenaser.com/ser/2015/12/16/politica/1450289149_441640.html |title=A teen punches Mariano Rajoy in a street of Pontevedra |language=es |work=Cadena SER |date=16 December 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/mariano-rajoy-agredido-ciudadano-paseo-pontevedra_2015121600369.html |title=Rajoy, assaulted with a punch in his face by a minor during a walk in Pontevedra |language=es |work=La Sexta |date=16 December 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015 |archive-date=20 December 2015 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20151220075350/http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/mariano-rajoy-agredido-ciudadano-paseo-pontevedra_2015121600369.html |url-status=dead }} The assailant turned out to be related to Rajoy's wife, as he was the son of a cousin of Elvira Fernández, and also a member of a family known for sympathizing with the People's Party.{{cite web|url=http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2631189/0/joven-agresor-rajoy/hijo-prima-viri/mujer-presidente/ |title=The youngster that assaulted Rajoy, son of a cousin of Viri, the Prime Minister's wife |language=es |work=20minutos |date=17 December 2015}}

The following day, Rajoy attended a European Council meeting in Brussels, where Angela Merkel and other European leaders approached him showing their support to him after the assault.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/noticias/nacional/rajoy-arropado-merkel-cameron-bruselas-agresion_2015121700387.html |title=Rajoy, wrapped by Merkel and Cameron in Brussels after the assault |language=es |work=La Sexta |date=17 December 2015 |access-date=24 December 2015 |archive-date=24 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224134424/http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/noticias/nacional/rajoy-arropado-merkel-cameron-bruselas-agresion_2015121700387.html |url-status=dead }} During the meeting a camera recorded Rajoy, Merkel and other leaders discussing the electoral prospects of Spanish parties. Rajoy revealed to them that, according to PP internal opinion polls, Podemos was rising quickly and approaching the PSOE, to the point that there was the possibility of it becoming the second political force of the country. Merkel expressed concern about such an event.{{cite web|url=http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/politica/eleccions-generales-mariano-rajoy-explica-merkel-podemos-segunda-posicion-4762794 |title=Rajoy explains Merkel that Podemos can end up in second place |language=es |work=El Periódico de Catalunya |date=18 December 2015}}

{{Main|Opinion polling for the 2015 Spanish general election}}

{{Opinion polling for the 2015 Spanish general election (Graphical summary)}}

{{For|results by autonomous community/constituency|Results breakdown of the 2015 Spanish general election (Congress)}}

{{bar box

|title=Popular vote

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=550px

|barwidth=500px

|bars=

{{bar percent|PP|{{party color|People's Party (Spain)}}|28.71}}

{{bar percent|PSOE|{{party color|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party}}|22.00}}

{{bar percent|Podemos|{{party color|Podemos (Spanish political party)}}|20.68}}

{{bar percent|C's|{{party color|Citizens (Spanish political party)}}|13.94}}

{{bar percent|IU–UPeC|{{party color|Popular Unity (Spain)}}|3.67}}

{{bar percent|ERC–CatSí|{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}}|2.40}}

{{bar percent|DiL|{{party color|Democracy and Freedom}}|2.25}}

{{bar percent|EAJ/PNV|{{party color|Basque Nationalist Party}}|1.20}}

{{bar percent|EH Bildu|{{party color|EH Bildu}}|0.87}}

{{bar percent|CCa–PNC|{{party color|Agreement of Nationalist Unity}}|0.32}}

{{bar percent|Others|#777777|3.21}}

{{bar percent|Blank ballots|#DDDDDD|0.75}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Seats

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=550px

|barwidth=500px

|bars=

{{bar percent|PP|{{party color|People's Party (Spain)}}|35.14}}

{{bar percent|PSOE|{{party color|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party}}|25.71}}

{{bar percent|Podemos|{{party color|Podemos (Spanish political party)}}|19.71}}

{{bar percent|C's|{{party color|Citizens (Spanish political party)}}|11.43}}

{{bar percent|ERC–CatSí|{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}}|2.57}}

{{bar percent|DiL|{{party color|Democracy and Freedom}}|2.29}}

{{bar percent|EAJ/PNV|{{party color|Basque Nationalist Party}}|1.71}}

{{bar percent|IU–UPeC|{{party color|Popular Unity (Spain)}}|0.57}}

{{bar percent|EH Bildu|{{party color|EH Bildu}}|0.57}}

{{bar percent|CCa–PNC|{{party color|Agreement of Nationalist Unity}}|0.29}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Popular vote

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=550px

|barwidth=500px

|bars=

{{bar percent|PP|{{party color|People's Party (Spain)}}|30.31}}

{{bar percent|PSOE|{{party color|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party}}|22.44}}

{{bar percent|Podemos|{{party color|Podemos (Spanish political party)}}|18.46}}

{{bar percent|C's|{{party color|Citizens (Spanish political party)}}|11.18}}

{{bar percent|IU–UPeC|{{party color|Popular Unity (Spain)}}|3.58}}

{{bar percent|ERC–CatSí|{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}}|2.86}}

{{bar percent|DiL|{{party color|Democracy and Freedom}}|2.31}}

{{bar percent|PACMA|{{party color|Animalist Party Against Mistreatment of Animals}}|1.56}}

{{bar percent|EAJ/PNV|{{party color|Basque Nationalist Party}}|1.37}}

{{bar percent|Cambio/Aldaketa|{{party color|Cambio-Aldaketa}}|0.43}}

{{bar percent|CCa–PNC|{{party color|Agreement of Nationalist Unity}}|0.24}}

{{bar percent|ASG|{{party color|Gomera Socialist Group}}|0.01}}

{{bar percent|Others|#777777|3.79}}

{{bar percent|Blank ballots|#DDDDDD|4.06}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Seats

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=550px

|barwidth=500px

|bars=

{{bar percent|PP|{{party color|People's Party (Spain)}}|59.62}}

{{bar percent|PSOE|{{party color|Spanish Socialist Workers' Party}}|22.60}}

{{bar percent|Podemos|{{party color|Podemos (Spanish political party)}}|7.69}}

{{bar percent|ERC–CatSí|{{party color|Republican Left of Catalonia}}|2.88}}

{{bar percent|DiL|{{party color|Democracy and Freedom}}|2.88}}

{{bar percent|EAJ/PNV|{{party color|Basque Nationalist Party}}|2.88}}

{{bar percent|Cambio/Aldaketa|{{party color|Cambio-Aldaketa}}|0.48}}

{{bar percent|CCa–PNC|{{party color|Agreement of Nationalist Unity}}|0.48}}

{{bar percent|ASG|{{party color|Gomera Socialist Group}}|0.48}}

}}

File:2015 Spanish general election map.svg|Election results by constituency (Congress).

File:2015 Spanish election - Results.svg|Vote winner strength by constituency (Congress).

File:2015 Spanish election - AC results.svg|Vote winner strength by autonomous community (Congress).

The election results produced the most fragmented parliament in recent Spanish history. As opinion polls had predicted, the People's Party (PP) was able to secure first place with a clear lead over its rivals, but it lost the absolute majority it had held since 2011 in the Congress of Deputies. Its 123 seat-count was the worst result ever obtained by a winning party in a Spanish general election—previously been 156 seats in 1996. Its result was also slightly below the party's expected goal of reaching 30% of the vote.{{cite web |url=http://noticias.lainformacion.com/elecciones-generales-2015/el-pp-confia-en-llegar-al-30-de-los-votos-pese-a-la-gestion-del-atentado-y-la-corrupcion_iqfnNKxvLSTUf6AkLtXTa5/ |title=The PP trusts in reaching 30% despite the attack's management and corruption |language=es |publisher=La Información |date=13 December 2015 |access-date=4 January 2016 |archive-date=14 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151214211309/http://noticias.lainformacion.com/elecciones-generales-2015/el-pp-confia-en-llegar-al-30-de-los-votos-pese-a-la-gestion-del-atentado-y-la-corrupcion_iqfnNKxvLSTUf6AkLtXTa5/ |url-status=dead }} The party's net loss of seats (64 fewer than in 2011) and vote share drop (minus 16 percentage points) was the PP's largest fall in popular support in its history, as well as the worst showing for a sitting government in Spain since 1982. Overall, it was also the worst result obtained by the PP in a general election since 1989, back to the party's refoundation from the People's Alliance.

The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) obtained its worst election result in recent history, with just 22% of the total party vote and 90 seats, well below Pedro Sánchez's target of at least 100 seats.{{cite web|url=http://www.esdiario.com/517685983/El-PSOE-rebaja-su-pobre-liston-para-el-20-D-ante-el-desastre-que-viene.html |title=The PSOE lowers its poor target for 20D ahead of the coming disaster |language=es |publisher=esdiario |date=9 December 2015}} Losing 20 seats and nearly 7 percentage points to its already negative 2011 result, this was the first time since the Spanish transition to democracy that one of the two largest parties fell below the 100-seat mark. Overall, while able to hold on to its second place nationally in terms of votes and seats, it lost the second and first place to Podemos in 8 out of the 17 autonomous communities, and finished fourth in Madrid, the capital's district. It was able to narrowly win in Andalusia and Extremadura—which it had resoundingly lost to the PP in 2011—thanks to the PP vote collapse in those regions, but it lost in Barcelona for the first time ever in a general election, and its sister party, the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC), was reduced to third party status in Catalonia after decades of political dominance.

The combined results for the top two parties was also the worst for any general election held since 1977, gathering just 51% of the total party vote and 213 seats, just slightly above the required 3/5 majority for an ordinary constitutional reform. The result was regarded as a loss for bipartisanship in Spain as a whole, as the era of bipartisan politics was declared officially over by newcomers Podemos and Citizens, as well as by both national and international media.{{cite news|url=http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2015/12/20/5676faa222601d94038b458f.html |title=Spain entombs bipartisanship and leaves government in the air |language=es |newspaper=El Mundo |date=20 December 2015}}{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c0d6e376-a75c-11e5-9700-2b669a5aeb83.html |title=Spain's general election weakens decades of bipartisan hegemony |newspaper=Financial Times |date=21 December 2015}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/20/peoples-party-wins-spanish-election-absolute-majority |title=Spanish election: national newcomers end era of two-party dominance |newspaper=The Guardian |date=21 December 2015}}

Podemos, which contested a general election for the first time after having been founded in January 2014, obtained an unprecedented 21% of the vote and 69 seats together with its regional alliances, the best result ever obtained by a third party in a Spanish election. Coming short by 340,000 votes of securing its campaign goal of becoming the main left-wing party in Spain, it managed to secure second place in 6 out of the 17 autonomous communities and came top in another two—the Basque Country and Catalonia. This result was ahead of what initial pre-campaign and campaign opinion polls had predicted, and was in line with a late-campaign surge in support for the party. Citizens (C's) also had a strong performance for a national party in Spain, but its fourth place, 14% of the share and 40 seats were considered a letdown for party leader Albert Rivera, mainly as a consequence of the high expectations that had been generated around his candidacy. Pre-election opinion polls had placed C's near or above 20% of the vote share, and many also suggested a strong possibility of C's disputing second place to PSOE. Finally, it only came ahead of either PSOE or PP in Madrid and Catalonia.{{cite web |url=http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/expectativas-ciudadanos-diluyen-urnas_2015122000181.html |title=Citizens' expectations are diluted in the polls |language=es |publisher=laSexta |date=20 December 2015 |access-date=4 January 2016 |archive-date=24 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224163907/http://www.lasexta.com/noticias/nacional/elecciones-generales/expectativas-ciudadanos-diluyen-urnas_2015122000181.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://www.elespanol.com/elecciones/elecciones-generales/20151221/88491212_0.html |title=Why Citizens did not meet expectations |language=es |newspaper=El Español |date=22 December 2015}} The party also found itself in a weaker political position than predicted, as the "kingmaker" position that was thought to go to C's under opinion polling projections finally went to PSOE, with the Congress' fragmentation resulting from the election meaning that neither the PP–C's nor the PSOE–Podemos–IU blocs would be able to command a majority on their own.

{{Main|2015–2016 Spanish government formation|2016 Spanish general election}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite act |italics=y |title=Constitución Española |type=Spanish Constitution |date=29 December 1978 |orig-date=version as of 27 September 2011 |reporter=Boletín Oficial del Estado |volume=311 |issn=0212-033X |id=BOE-A-1978-31229 |language=es |url=https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1978-31229&p=20110927 |access-date=27 December 2016 |ref={{harvid|Const. Esp.|1978}}}}
• {{cite act |italics=y |title=Ley Orgánica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Régimen Electoral General |type=Organic Law |number=5/1985 |date=19 June 1985 |orig-date=version as of 31 March 2015 |reporter=Boletín Oficial del Estado |volume=147 |issn=0212-033X |id=BOE-A-1985-11672 |language=es |url=https://www.boe.es/buscar/act.php?id=BOE-A-1985-11672&tn=1&p=20150331 |access-date=28 December 2016 |ref={{harvid|LOREG|1985}}}}
• {{cite book |last1=Carreras de Odriozola |first1=Albert |last2=Tafunell Sambola |first2=Xavier |year=2005 |orig-year=1989 |title=Estadísticas históricas de España, siglos XIX-XX |url=http://www.fbbva.es/TLFU/dat/autores.pdf |language=es |volume=1 |location=Bilbao |publisher=Fundación BBVA |pages=1072–1097 |edition=II |isbn=84-96515-00-1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924010950/http://www.fbbva.es/TLFU/dat/autores.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2015 |df=dmy-all}}

{{refend}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}

{{Spanish elections}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:General election in Spain, 2015}}

Category:2015 elections in Spain

Category:December 2015 in Spain

2015