• Ciudadanos increase favorable ratings following first investiture debates •
The Socialist party (PSOE) believes declining poll numbers for Podemos combined with the growing independence of Podemos’ electoral coalition allies in Catalonia and Galicia will dissuade the anti-austerity party from seeking new elections, prompting a Podemos abstention to enable PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez to become Spain’s next president in a new confidence vote in Congress.
Opinion polls released over the weekend showed a sharp decline in Podemos support: a Metroscopia poll shows Podemos support falling four points from to 16.8 percent voter preference and ranking it fourth behind the centre-right Ciudadanos party, while a GESOP poll puts the two parties neck-and-neck and shows Podemos dropping 8-11 seats in Congress were new elections to be held.
Podemos and coalition allies won 69 congressional seats in December, with its Valencia coalition partners Compromís immediately peeling off their four seats from Podemos after the elections. News reports suggest were new elections to be held, Galicia’s En Marea and Catalonia’s En Comú would abandon their electoral partnerships with Podemos, leaving the party with fewer seats in a new Congress than the 65 it currently controls.
► Read More in Spanish at El País and La Vanguardia …
► Read More in English at El País …
► See latest GESOP poll results and Metroscopia poll results …
Click here to Sign Up for Progressive Spain News Updates via E-Mail ► ►