Andorra’s election night has been very long and at times it has been heart-stopping. The Democrats, led by the head of the Government, Xavier Espot, would have won these elections by majority (with the vote counted up to now). It will be his fourth legislature in a row. The country of the Pyrenees has therefore voted for continuity, at a time when high politics is more necessary than ever with the negotiation that seeks to find the best fit between the principality and the EU.
And something that had already been intuited in the last days of the campaign: Concòrdia, a party of very young people, with Cerni Escalé at its head and which opens in the Principality’s parliamentary arch, has given the bell. It has been the second most voted force, ahead of the Social Democrats. In some moments of the recount, this formation that has been presented as an “alternative” to the traditional politics of Andorra played face to face with the Demòcrates.
The first parish to close results was La Massana. There the Democrates coalition won easily. A victory that brings two ministers to the list of Xavier Espot. To which must be added the two from Canillo, where only the oranges were presented.
Concordia has taken, for its part, the two councilors of Sant Julià de Lòira, where it won comfortably, followed by Democrats and the progressives of the PS SDP coalition, led by Pere López. The territorial vote in Ordino, Ecamp and Anorra la Vella would also be won by the Democrats at the close of this edition, while in Escaldes-Engordany the Action-Demòcretes coalition would win. The Liberals of Josep Maria Cabanes would be without representation.
Andorra Endavant, another formation that premieres in these elections and led by Carine Montaner, also breaks into the General Council with three councilors. In that national ballot, the Democrats get 5 councillors. The rest, up to 14, would be distributed (3 each) PS SDP, Concordia and Andorra Endavant.
Adding the seats obtained in the national and territorial voting, the new political arc of the National Council (with an almost closed vote) would look like this: Demòcrates, 15 consellers; Concòrdia, 5, SP SDP, 3 and Acció, 1. These were still provisional results at 11:20 p.m. tonight.
Participation in these elections was high. It was already intuited that Andorrans wanted to vote in these elections. A perception to which all formations subscribed last Saturday, after the record of 9,000 early votes, by judicial means. Ballots delivered during the 15 days of the campaign in the Batllia (court). Or put another way, 30% of the 29,958 Andorrans summoned to these elections had voted before the polling stations opened – this Sunday, at nine in the morning. Those omens seemed to be confirmed between one and two in the afternoon. The photo of long lines was repeated in all schools. Although that rate of voting decreased in intensity at lunchtime and during the afternoon. Everything seemed to return to its place.
Shortly before half past seven in the evening, the acting spokesman minister, César Marquina, gave the final results of participation. In these elections, 66.95% of the voters called have voted, 1.3 points below the participation in the last elections. It is still, however, a high participation if these figures are compared with those registered eight or twelve years ago.
The Andorran parliament is made up of 28 deputies. Half of these candidates come from the six national lists (it is a proportional system and a minister is worth around 1,300 votes) submitted to these elections. To qualify for this distribution and have representation, a minimum of 7.4% of valid votes must be obtained.
The other 14 are chosen with the territorial or parochial vote; that is to say, of the votes deposited in a second ballot box – different from the one for the national vote – where surprises are more likely. Each of the seven parishes of the principality contributes two representatives to the General Council. And there the simple majority applies. The most voted formation wins. It is not surprising, therefore, that in Andorra each ballot is considered almost like a treasure, since a single vote more or less in the territorial ballot box gives or removes representation.
