MADRID (Reuters) – Spain’s ruling Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) is set to win the most votes in next month’s general election but its lead over the conservative People’s Party (PP) has narrowed since the vote was called, a state-owned pollster said on Friday.
While most recent surveys put the PP in front, a poll by the state-owned Centre for Sociological Studies (CIS) between May 31 and June 7 showed PSOE gathering 31.2% of the vote ahead of the PP on 30.7%.
That represents a narrowing of PSOE’s lead to 0.5 points from 1.9 points in the last CIS poll published on May 17.
Both parties increased their share compared to the previous poll by CIS, which has been criticised by opposition figures for being state-owned and headed by a socialist.
Prime Minister on Pedro Sanchez on May 29 called a surprise snap election after his party and its junior coalition partner Podemos were routed in regional and municipal ballots.
The July 23 election is shaping into a binary choice between those opposed to a government that includes the far-right Vox and those who oppose the current coalition with far-left Podemos.
Sumar, a newly-formed alliance of progressive parties led by Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz and including Podemos, would gather 14.3% of the vote. Vox would gather 10.6%, the CIS poll said.
A GAD3 poll for the conservative ABC newspaper on Sunday predicted that PP would win the election with 36.6% of the vote and if supported by far-right Vox, both parties could form a ruling coalition with an absolute majority.
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Aislinn Laing and Conor Humphries)
