May 2003 Madrilenian regional election
25 May 2003
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All 111 seats in the Assembly of Madrid 56 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Opinion polls | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Registered | 4,443,533 3.9% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turnout | 3,078,052 (69.3%) 8.4 pp | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A regional election was held in the Community of Madrid on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Assembly of the autonomous community. All 111 seats in the Assembly were up for election. It was held concurrently with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all across Spain.
As a result of the election, the People's Party (PP) lost its absolute majority in the Assembly, thus leaving the way open for a coalition government be formed between the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) and United Left (IU). A major political scandal ensued after two PSOE deputies—Eduardo Tamayo and María Teresa Sáez—broke party discipline and refused to support PSOE regional leader Rafael Simancas's investiture. The prospective PSOE–IU alliance found itself commanding 54 seats against the 55-strong PP, which could not bring its candidate, Esperanza Aguirre, through an investiture vote as the rebel PSOE deputies would not vote for her either. With no candidate able to obtain the required votes to become president, the regional Assembly was dissolved on 28 August 2003 and a snap election was held in October 2003.