Early Years and Prime (1982-1991)
It was formed on 30 August 1982 with the stated purpose of "defending Valencian identity" and ran for the first time in the Spanish general election, 1982. It particiapted as part of the larger Spain-wide right-wing block Alianza Popular and won a seat held by Miguel Ramón Izquierdo. This coalition was kept for the 1983 elections to the Valencian autonomous Parliament.
UV took part by itself in the 1986 general election. Miguel Ramón Izquierdo retained his seat in the Cortes Generales. In 1987, it entered the Corts Valencianes (Valencian regional parliament), winning six of the 89 seats in the parliament. It then doubled its presence at the Cortes Generales when two of its candidates won in the 1989 general election. One of the seats was won by its founder, Vicente González Lizondo.
UV reached its height in the Valencian regional elections of 1991, when it became the third largest party in the Valencian Community, overtaking the traditional third party in the territory (Esquerra Unida del País Valencià). This election elevated UV to its all time record, 10.5% of the total votes, with this figure remarkably higher in its electoral stronghold, the Valencian speaking areas in the Valencia province.
| UV's MPs in the Valencian autonomous Parliament | |||
| Constituency / Year | 1987 | 1991 | 1995 |
| Alicante | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Castellón | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Valencia | 6 | 6 | 4 |
| TOTAL | 6 | 7 | 5 |
Read more about this topic: Valencian Union
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