The facts: Party: Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) Leader: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO Seats won in this election to the Chamber of Deputies:164 Seats won in this election to the Senate: 81
Party: People’s Party (PP) Leader: Mariano RAJOY Seats won in this election to the Chamber of Deputies:148 Seats won in this election to the Senate: 102
The Socialists WON with a close 164-148 plurality.(Not an absolute majority in the 350-member Chamber).
The Peoples Party LEADs the Senate elections, with 102-81 of the direct votes of 208 seats this week.
The remaining 51 Senate seats, are appointed by the Legislative Assemblies of the 17 Spanish Autonomous Communities – Comunidades Autónomas - in the following way: these Assemblies appoint one Senator each, plus one more for every million inhabitants who live within the Autonomous Community.
Now in 2000:
Party: People’s Party (PP) Seats won in last election to the Chamber of Deputies: 183 Seats won in last election to the Senate: 127 Party: Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) Seats won in last election to the Chamber of Deputies: 125 Seats won in last election to the Senate: 61
2000 was a much greater "LANDSLIDE" with the PP gaining more than 50% of each Congress