New poll: Spain’s PP retains lead as Socialists climb to second place
The leftist coalition Unidos Podemos yields two percentage points, centrist Ciudadanos gains 2.5
A new voting intention survey shows that a majority of Spaniards would still support the ruling Popular Party (PP) if an election were held tomorrow. The Socialist Party (PSOE) would come in second and the leftist coalition Unidos Podemos third, switching places from the previous poll. The survey was conducted in April by the Center for Sociology Research (CIS), and showed 31.5% support for the PP, 19.9% for the Socialists, 19.7% for Unidos Podemos and 14.9% for the centrist Ciudadanos.
The April Barometer shows Mariano Rajoy’s conservatives losing 1.5 points from January. The biggest decline in support, however, is for the anti-austerity Podemos and its alliance with the United Left, Compromís and other green and leftist forces, which had 21.7% support in early 2017.
The Socialists, meanwhile, gained 1.3 percentage points, although the biggest increase was for Ciudadanos, which added 2.5 points over the same period.
The survey was conducted before the latest corruption scandal involving the PP had broken
This is the second time in a row that the Socialists have improved on their voting intention. The new rise pushes them ahead of Podemos.
Approval rates for Spanish politicians vary, with the most popular leader being Joan Baldoví of the regional Valencian party Compromís. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy scored worse than in January, dropping from 3.10 to 2.91. None of the ministers in the Rajoy cabinet received a passing grade, but the best performers were Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría (3.79 points) and Education Minister and government spokesman Íñigo Méndez de Vigo.
The interviewees’ views of the political situation in Spain has darkened since January: 69% consider it bad or very bad, compared with 66.8% in January, and only 4.5% find it good or very good, as opposed to 4.7% in January.
Asked about the PP’s management of Spanish affairs, 53.1% said they found it bad or very bad; 32,5% described it as regular and 12.2% as good or very good.
As for the Socialists’ role in the opposition, 61% called it bad or very bad, 30.3% regular and 4.6% good or very good.
Role of corruption
The survey was conducted in early April, before the latest corruption scandal involving the PP had broken. By then, however, the regional premier of Murcia had stepped down over graft allegations.
Meanwhile, Podemos had held a party conference in which Pablo Iglesias reaffirmed his leadership, and the Socialists had taken new steps towards choosing a new secretary general to replace the interim management team in place since October. The vote will take place in late May and pit former secretary general Pedro Sánchez against Andalusian premier Susana Díaz and former Basque premier Patxi López.
English version by Susana Urra.
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