Poll shows big opposition lead in Spain despite Zapatero's announcement

 

A Spanish opinion poll published this morning revealed that Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's announcement last week that he would not stand for re-election in next year's general election has done nothing to help the standing of his party in the polls.

A poll published by Spanish national radio station Cadena Ser shows that Zapatero's Socialist (PSOE) Party is still lagging behind the group the Partido Popular(PP)opposition party by 12 points.

If the election were to be held today, the PP would take 47% of the votes with just 35% of Spaniards voting for the ruling PSOE, which represents a 3% increase in thos intending to vote for the PP.

The report also shows how Izquierda Unida would see voters fall one point to 4.3%.

Neither Zapatero nor his opposition in the PP party, Mariano Rajoy, seem to be held in high regard by Spaniards, with 67% of those questioned the work of Zapatero, and 66% being critical of Rajoy despite his party's lead in the polls.

However, 70% of those surveyed believe that Zapatero has made the correct decision in announcing that he will not stand for re-election in 2012.

80% of PSOE voters support the decision, while 64% of PP sympathisers also believe it to be the correct one.