Analysis On a turnout of 61.3%, which was seen as high by political leaders at the time,
Convergence and Union (CiU) emerged as the largest political force with 27.8% of the share and 43 seats, Instead, the PSC–PSOE secured 22.4% of the vote and 33 seats, losing many votes compared to the previous
1979 general election in what was seen as an electoral punishment to the PSC's ambiguous position on the issue of Catalan nationalism—said to have cost it the support from Catalan centre-left bourgeoisie voters, losing them both to the
Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia (PSUC) (which obtained 18.8% of the vote and 25 seats) and to the
Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) (8.9% of the share and 14 seats)—but also to the ongoing internal tensions between the more pro-Catalan faction made of former
Socialist Party of Catalonia–Congress members and the more pro-Spanish faction from the former
Catalan Socialist Federation, as well as
Joan Reventós's little appeal among working class voters. Eventually, these would be joined by disappointment over the dismal turnout at the
1980 Galician Statute of Autonomy referendum and further electoral setbacks in the November 1980 Senate by-elections in Almería and Seville, with the deterioration of
Adolfo Suárez's public figure leading to increasing internal struggling within the party and to his resignation as Prime Minister in January 1981. The enormous losses sustained by the UCD in the
1981 Galician regional election would see the party entering into a state of crisis and decay, culminating in crushing defeats in the
Andalusian regional and
Spanish general elections held throughout 1982, ultimately leading to the UCD's dissolution in February 1983.
Government formation Under Transitory Provision Fifth of the Statute, the first investiture process to elect the
president of the Government of Catalonia required of an absolute majority—more than half the votes cast—to be obtained in the first ballot. If unsuccessful, a new ballot would be held 48 hours later requiring also of an absolute majority; and, if not successful, a third and final ballot could be held 48 hours later requiring only of a simple majority—more affirmative than negative votes—to succeed. If the proposed candidate was not elected, successive proposals were to be transacted under the same procedure with a different candidate. In the event of the investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Parliament was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called within a fifteen-day timespan. The first choice—which was also Pujol's preferred one in order for a stable government to be formed—was rejected as the PSC advocated for remaining in opposition, ruling out any agreement with CiU; concurrently, both CiU and PSUC discarded any joint agreement involving each other, as CiU did not wish to pact with the Communists and the PSUC remained unwilling to grant its support to any government where it was not present. As a result, two-way negotiations with UCD and ERC ensued: while both parties were favourable to Pujol's investiture, the scope of the parliamentary support to be granted would remain a key issue; whether it would be limited to the investiture, involve a
confidence and supply arrangement or a full-fledged
coalition government. UCD was willing to offer support to Pujol in exchange for CiU supporting Suárez's government in the Congress of Deputies, amid fears within CC–UCD that this could give the impression of it being a "branch office" of their party in Madrid. Concurrently, CiU was willing to let ERC into the government and parliamentary institutions, but the latter party conditioned such an entry to a CiU–PSC coalition being formed, announcing that it would only provide a "very critical" support to Pujol—limited to his investiture only—should a CiU–UCD government be formed instead. The Parliament's constitution on 10 April led to the election of
Heribert Barrera from ERC as
Parliament's speaker with CiU's support, and eventually to Pujol's success in the second ballot of investiture on 24 April with the support of both UCD and ERC, Despite attempts from outgoing President Tarradellas to delay Pujol's inauguration and hinder his government's powers, Pujol would be formally sworn into the office of regional premier on 8 May 1980, a post he would end up holding for the next 23 years. Pujol would form a
minority government, with its members being appointed the next day. Then PSC leader Joan Reventós would later express regret at having rejected the formation of a CiU–PSC coalition because, "had Pujol's proposal been accepted, the political history of Catalonia during this period may have been another"; despite the initial expectations that Pujol's minority government would be short-lived, it would instead provide Pujol of a platform with which to boost his political stand, resulting in the establishment of an electoral hegemony that would last until
2003.
1982 motion of no confidence ==References==