Jason MoorePalma06/02/2018 00:00
TW
0

So, the crisis in Catalonia doesn't appear to have dented the popularity of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who still has a slight lead over his nearest rivals. The ruling Partido Popular would hold on to its slim lead if a general election were held today, ahead of the Socialists, who would come second, and market-friendly Ciudadanos third. The PP would win 26.3 per cent of the vote while the Socialists would take 23.1 per cent, according to the poll carried out by Sociological Research Centre. Relative newcomers, centre-right Ciudadanos would win 20.7 per cent while anti-austerity Podemos party was seen winning 19 per cent of the vote, the poll showed.

Not much has changed really in Spanish politics, although Ciudadanos does appear to continue to go from strength to strength and soon I suspect that it could be a real rival to the PP. Podemos, to the left of the Socialist Party is also in a strong position. Both Podemos and Ciudadanos have something in common; they are new parties but on opposing sides of the political spectrum. Both parties have drained votes away from their more well established counterparts. In the recent Catalan elections, Ciudadanos, was the most voted party although they failed to secure an overall majority. Rajoy may feel comfortable about his lead but he should be careful; others are on his heels. If an election was called tomorrow, he would probably win but with no clear majority.