Simon Hunter
SPAIN’S state-run Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) has released its latest polling data ahead of the July 23 snap general election, which puts the Socialist Party narrowly ahead of the conservative Popular Party (PP).
The CIS, however, is widely slammed by critics for being biassed toward the Socialists, who are currently governing in a coalition with leftist Unidas Podemos (Together we Can). The institution is run by Jose Felix Tezanos, who is a former Socialist Party politician.
The latest survey predicts that the Socialists will win 31.2% of the vote at the election, with the PP close behind with 30.7%.
The data, however, marks the narrowest distance between the two parties since July 2022, when the CIS poll put the PP ahead of the Socialists.
For the first time, the CIS survey includes Podemos within the new leftist alliance Sumar (Unite), despite the fact that the group only signed up to join last Friday, which was before the polling was carried out.
The survey predicts that Sumar will be the third-most-voted party, with 14.3% of support from Spaniards. Far-right Vox is next, with 10.6% of the vote.
The poll also excludes centre-right Ciudadanos (Citizens), which has opted not to run at the general election after the party’s dismal showing at the May 28 local and regional elections.
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