Spain: Socialists woo voters

Friday, March 7

A general election will be held in Spain on Sunday. All opinion polls have favoured the ruling Socialists (PSOE).

The final opinion polls give the PSOE a lead of 2-4% over its main rival, the centre-right People's Party (PP). For the Socialists, the polls are reasonably favourable taken in the context of the economic slowdown that has become a major concern for voters. Their ability to maintain a modest lead is attributable to a number of factors:

• While Spaniards are aware of the economic slowdown, they are not yet feeling its full effects in their pockets.
• The proportion of Spaniards describing the economic situation as 'bad' or 'very bad' in fact fell during the election campaign, after a more convincing performance by the Socialist finance minister in a televised debate with his PP 'counterpart'.
• Moreover, employers' organisations appear to prefer the re-election of a government led by Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.