5th General Assembly of Citizens (Spanish political party)

The 5th General Assembly of Citizens was held between 30 April and 3 May 2020 to renovate the leading bodies of the Citizens party (Cs) and establish the party's main lines of action and strategy for the next leadership term. A primary election to elect the new party president was held between 7 and 8 March. The assembly was called following the resignation of party leader Albert Rivera on 11 November 2019 as a result of Cs obtaining the worst electoral result of the party in the general election held on 10 November.[1]

5th General Assembly of Cs

← 20177–8 March 2020 (primary)
30 April–3 May 2020 (assembly)
2023 →
Registered20,713 (primary)
Turnout12,328 (59.5%) (primary)
 
CandidateInés ArrimadasFrancisco IgeaXimo Aparici
Popular vote9,481 (76.9%)2,752 (22.3%)94 (0.8%)
Delegate voteUnopposedEliminatedEliminated

President before election

Manuel García Bofill (acting)

Elected President

Inés Arrimadas

The assembly was originally planned to be held on 14 and 15 March, but was delayed and forced to be held telematically as a result of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier that month and the enforcement of nationwide lockdowns to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2.[2][3][4]

The leadership election saw the spokesperson of the party's parliamentary group in the Congress of Deputies, Inés Arrimadas, becoming the new party president, winning the membership vote by almost 77% of the vote over Vice President of Castile and León Francisco Igea, who got 22.3% of the share. A Valencian member with no official post, Ximo Aparici, contested the primary getting 0.8% of the votes.

Candidates

CandidateAgeNotable positionsAnnouncedEliminatedCampaignRef.

Elected

Candidate elected as president.
Inés Arrimadas
38Member of the Congress of Deputies for Barcelona (since 2019)
Spokesperson of the Citizens Group in the Congress of Deputies (since 2019)
Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Catalonia (2015–2019)
Spokesperson of the Citizens Group in the Parliament of Catalonia (2015)
Member of the Parliament of Catalonia for Barcelona (2012–2019)
27 November 2019 Y Elected[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]

Proclaimed

Candidates who met the endorsement requirement and were officially proclaimed to contest the primary election.
Francisco Igea
55Vice President of Castile and León (since 2019)
Minister of Transparency, Land Management and External Action of Castile and León (since 2019)
Spokesperson of Castile and León (since 2019)
Member of the Cortes of Castile and León for Valladolid (since 2019)
Member of the Congress of Deputies for Valladolid (2016–2019)
25 February 20208 March 2020[9]
[10]
[11]
Ximo Aparici
46None6 February 20208 March 2020[12]
[13]

Declined

The individuals in this section were the subject of speculation about their possible candidacy, but publicly denied or recanted interest in running:

Endorsements

Inés Arrimadas

Results

Summary of the 7 March–3 May 2020 Cs national assembly results
CandidatePrimaryAssembly
Votes%Votes%
Inés Arrimadas9,48176.91Unopposed
Francisco Igea2,75222.32Eliminated
Ximo Aparici940.76Eliminated
Total12,327
Valid votes12,32799.99
Invalid and blank ballots10.01
Votes cast / turnout12,32859.52
Abstentions8,38540.48
Registered voters20,713355
Sources[21][22][23]
Vote by party members
Arrimadas
76.91%
Igea
22.32%
Aparici
0.76%

References

Other