Teruel Existe

Teruel Existe (English: Teruel Exists)[1] is a Spanish political group based in the province of Teruel. It was founded in November 1999 as a citizen platform with the goal of demanding a fair and equal treatment for the province of Teruel.[2][3] In 1999, Teruel still had no motorways, and on the only railway line (which was single-track without electrification) the train had derailed 8 times in a year.[2][3]

Teruel Exists Teruel Existe
Spokesperson	Tomás Guitarte
Founded	November 1999
Headquarters	Avda. Sagunto, nº 3, 1ºA 44002, Teruel
Ideology	Regionalism[1]
Political position	Big tent
Colors	Green
Congress of Deputies (Teruel seats)	1 / 3
Spanish Senate (Teruel seats)	2 / 4
Website
teruelexiste.info
Politics of Spain Political parties Elections

Encouraged by the success of the strike called for 4 October 2019 in twenty Spanish provinces, to protest the "forgetfulness" suffered by the so-called "empty Spain",[4][5] the platform chose to establish itself as a grouping of electors to contest the upcoming November general election in the province. It became the most voted provincial force, securing one out of the three Teruel Congress seats and two out of its four directly-elected senators,[6] as well as becoming the first grouping of electors since the Spanish transition to democracy to be successful in entering the Spanish parliament.[7]

The platform was instrumental in the investiture of Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister of Spain on 5–7 January 2020,[8][9] for whose support its leader, Tomás Guitarte, received intense threats and coercion from right-wing to far-right groups, which resulted in the Ministry of the Interior having to provide him of a policial escort for security reasons.[10][11]

Electoral performance

Nationwide

Cortes Generales
Election	Congress					Senate		Leading candidate	Status in legislature
	Votes	%	#	Seats	+/–	Seats	+/–
2019 (Nov)	19,761	0.08%	19th	1 / 350	1	2 / 208	2	Tomás Guitarte	Opposition

Regional breakdown

Election	Teruel
	Congress					Senate
	Votes	%	#	Seats	+/–	Votes		%	Seats	+/–
2019 (Nov)	19,761	26.66%	1st	1 / 3	1	Joaquín Egea Serrano Beatriz Martín Larred Alba Polo Artal	20,686 19,060 17,594	28.37% 26.14% 24.13%	2 / 4	2

References

1. Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Spain". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
2. Rodríguez, Jorge A. (20 December 1999). "Teruel existe, pero poco". El País (in Spanish). Teruel. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
3. Matute Escribano, Adrián (7 December 2009). "Teruel Existe cumple diez años de existencia sin renunciar a las reivindicaciones exigidas por toda la provincia" (in Spanish). Zaragoza: Aragón Digital. Retrieved 30 November 2019.
4. "La 'España vaciada' para este viernes cinco minutos para protestar por la falta de servicios y exigir un pacto de Estado". 20 minutos (in Spanish). Agencias. 4 October 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
5. Espinosa, Juan Carlos; Navarro, Juan; Lema, Marcos (5 October 2019). "El grito mudo de la España vacía". El País (in Spanish). Alustante/Burgo de Osma-Ciudad de Osma/Teruel. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
6. "Teruel Existe se planta en el Congreso para dar voz a la España vaciada". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 10 November 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
7. Moreno, María Ángeles (11 November 2019). "La agrupación de electores de Teruel Existe hace historia al ser la primera que llega al Congreso". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 July 2020.
8. L. R., M. F. (2 January 2020). "Teruel Existe votará a favor de la investidura de Sánchez tras firmar un acuerdo con el PSOE". Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). Agencias. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
9. "Teruel Existe apoyará la investidura de Pedro Sánchez". eldiario.es (in Spanish). 2 January 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
10. "El diputado de Teruel Existe, con medidas de protección tras recibir amenazas". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Madrid. EFE. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
11. Lema, Marcos (7 January 2020). "La hora más difícil de Guitarte, el diputado de Teruel Existe amenazado". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 23 July 2020.