The 1989 European Parliament election was held on Wednesday June 15 to Sunday June 18 across the 12 European Union member states. It was the third European Parliament election but the first time that Spain and Portugal voted at the same time as the other members they joined in 1986. Overall turnout dropped to 59%.

Electoral system

There was no single voting system for all member states but each of them adopted its own method, established by national law.

The United Kingdom used a one-round (first-past-the-post) system of 78 constituencies in England, Wales and Scotland, while in Northern Ireland 3 proportional seats were allocated. Belgium, Ireland and Italy used a proportional system with subdivision of the territory into constituencies. Denmark, France, West Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain used a single national proportional system, although in the case of West Germany the three seats for the West Berlin area were not directly elected but were chosen by the Berlin House of Representatives, given the particular status of the city.

Seat changes These were the first elections Portugal and Spain took part in with the other states. Spain was allocated 60 seats and Portugal was allocated 24; the number of seats for the other states remained the same, raising the total number of seats from 434 to 518. National distribution of seatsStateSeatsStateSeats81248124812481166015256

Results European Parliament election, 1989 - Final results at 25 July 1989GroupDescriptionChaired byMEPs  SOCSocial DemocratsJean-Pierre Cot180  EPPChristian DemocratsEgon Klepsch121  LDRLiberals and Liberal DemocratsValéry Giscard d'Estaing 49  EDConservativesChristopher Prout 34  GGreensMaria Amélia Santos 30  EULDemocratic SocialistsLuigi Alberto Colajanni 28  EDANational ConservativesChristian de La Malène 20  DRFar-Right NationalistsJean-Marie Le Pen 17  LUCommunists and the Far LeftRené-Emile Piquet 14  RBWRegionalistsJaak Vandemeulebroucke 13  NIIndependentsnone12Total: 518Sources: The Socialists held their third consecutive victory, rising to 180 seats (166 pre-election), with the People's Party managing to win only 8 extra seats. However, the European Democrats had a massive loss of 32 of the 66 seats, knocking them from third to sixth largest party. The liberals, who had already risen one place with the byelections in Spain and Portugal earlier, gained an extra seat, holding their new-found third place with both the Rainbow and Communist groups splitting post-election.

Results by country

GroupNationSOCEPPLDREDEDAGEULDRLURBWNITotalBelgium5 PS 3 SP5 CVP 2 PSC2 PVV 2 PRL2 Ecolo 1 Agalev1 VB1 VU 24Denmark4 A2 D3 V2 C1 SF4 N 16France22 PS4 CDS 1 CNI 1 Ind.12 UDF 1 UDF diss.12 RPR 1 CNI8 Verts10 FN7 PCF1 UPC1 Ind. 81Greece9 PASOK10 ND1 DIANA1 Synaspismos3 Synaspismos 24Ireland1 LAB4 FG1 PDs 1 Ind.6 FF1 WPI1 Ind. 15Italy12 PSI 2 PSDI26 DC 1 SVP 3 PRI3 LV 2 VA 1 DP 1 LA22 PCI2 LL 1 PSd'Az4 MSI 1 Ind. 81Luxembourg2 LSAP3 CSV1 DP 6Netherlands8 PvdA10 CDA3 VVD 1 D662 Regenboog1 SGP25Portugal8 PS3 CDS–PP9 PSD1 CDU (PEV)3 CDU (PCP) 24Spain27 PSOE15 PP 1 CiU (UDC)5 CDS 1 CiU (CDC)1 IP4 IU1 PA 1 PEP2 Ruiz-Mateos 1 CN 1 HB60United Kingdom45 LAB 1 SDLP1 UUP32 CON1 SNP1 DUP81West Germany31 SPD25 CDU 7 CSU4 FDP8 Grünen6 REP 81Total180121493420302817141312518

Statistics European Parliament election, 1989 - StatisticsAreaDatesSeatsElectorateTurnoutPreviousNextElection methodsSourcesEuropean Community(EC-12)15-18 June1989518244,951,37958.5%19841994All PR, except UK (not NI)which used FPTP European Parliament election, 1989 - TimelineSecond Parliament 1989 Election and RegroupingThird ParliamentGroups Pre-electionsLast session ChangeResultsJuly 25 NewGroupsFirst sessionJuly 25  SOC 166 +14 180  SOC 180  EPP 112 +9 121  EPP 121  LDR 46 +3 49  LDR 49 RBW20 +23 13  RBW 13 30  G 30 COM48 -6 28  EUL28 14  LU 14  ED 66 -32 34  ED 34   EDA 30 -10 20   EDA 20  ER 16 +1 17  DR 17  NI 14 -2 12  NI 12Total 518 0 518Total 518Sources European Parliament election, 1989 - Delegation at 25 July 1989GroupDescriptionDetails%MEPs  SOCSocial DemocratsWest Germany 31, Belgium 8, Denmark 4, France 22, Ireland 1, Italy 14, Luxembourg 2, Netherlands 8, UK 46, Greece 9, Spain 27, Portugal 835%180  EPPChristian DemocratsWest Germany 32, Belgium 7, Denmark 2, France 6, Ireland 4, Italy 27, Luxembourg 3, Netherlands 10, UK 1, Greece 10, Spain 16, Portugal 323%121  LDRLiberals and Liberal DemocratsWest Germany 4, Belgium 4, Denmark 3, France 13, Ireland 2, Italy 3, Luxembourg 1, Netherlands 4, Spain 6, Portugal 99%49  EDConservativesDenmark 2, UK 327%34  GGreensWest Germany 8, Belgium 3, France 8, Italy 7, Netherlands 2, Spain 1, Portugal 16%30  EULDemocratic SocialistsDenmark 1, Italy 22, Greece 1, Spain 45%28  EDANational ConservativesFrance 13, Ireland 6, Greece 14%20  DRFar-Right NationalistsWest Germany 6, Belgium 1, France 10 3%17  LUCommunists and the Far LeftFrance 7, Ireland 1, Greece 3, Portugal 33%14  RBWRegionalistsBelgium 1, Denmark 4, France 1, Ireland 1, Italy 3, UK 1, Spain 23%13  NIIndependentsFrance 1, Italy 5, Netherlands 1, UK 1, Spain 42%12Sources: 100%518

Further reading

Special issue of Electoral Studies on the elections.

References

External links The election of the Members of the European Parliament European Navigator Full Election Details Elections Online (In French)