Spain spending cuts take toll on govt ratings

 

Spain's conservative opposition has more than doubled its lead over the ruling Socialists since the government introduced new spending cuts to rein in a budget deficit, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.

The Demoscopia poll and a second survey in the Catalan region which also showed stronger local support for the conservatives, highlighted the government's weakness just as it faces its biggest economic challenges and ahead of its first real test of strength since a 2008 general election.

Published in leading left-wing newspaper El Pais, the Demoscopia poll showed the Popular Party (PP) has a 9.1 percentage point advantage over Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialists in the national parliament, versus a 4.2 percentage point lead two weeks ago.

The second survey carried out in the wealthy Catalan region showed that Catalan conservative nationalists Convergencia i Unio (CiU) would defeat the ruling Socialists in an autumn regional ballot.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who has only a simple majority in parliament, could face harder times mustering support to pass legislation just as he needs to implement urgent measures to counter the deepest recession in 50 years.

The Demoscopia poll was taken on May 13, one day after cuts in civil servant pay and a pension freeze were announced.

But the poll also showed that the approval rating for the prime minister, at 3.7 points (of 10) was still a notch above PP leader Mariano Rajoy, who got 3.6 points.

"The government is in a very precarious situation ... not because of the new direction announced with these measures but because of his (Zapatero's) obstinacy in sticking to the old direction up to now," El Pais said in an editorial.

CiU are ahead of the Catalan Socialists by almost 18 points, versus an advantage of just 5 points in 2006 elections, an Insituto Noxa poll for newspaper La Vanguardia showed.

Catalonia's election is expected to be the first real test of strength for Zapatero since the 2008 general elections. The Catalan poll was carried out before Madrid announced austerity measures, including regional government budget cuts, this week.

El Pais warned that neither the main left nor right-wing parties had provided credible alternatives, and that the crisis had highlighted the lack of prestige of the political class.

El Mundo newspaper argued that while the opposition leader Mariano Rajoy had correctly diagnosed what had caused the current situation, he had not suggested the right alternative measures.

"Zapatero has essentially done not what he had to do but perhaps what he was able to do. What is regrettable, is that he took so long," said the right-wing newspaper.

Three in four Spaniards think that despite 15 billion euros in extra spending cuts, the plan stops short of what is needed, the poll said.

The survey will likely influence the government's strategy regarding efforts to reform the labour market expected to be announced this week and considered by analysts to be crucial to tackling 20 percent unemployment, twice the euro zone average.

Most of those polled approved of the cuts in civil servant pay but disapproved of the freeze in pensions.

Most also supported tax rises affecting those who are wealthier, something the government has not ruled out.