Survey Reflects Negative Sentiment Toward Spanish Government

A recent survey conducted in Spain reveals that around 60% of Spaniards hold a negative view of the current parliamentary term and the government led by socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Interestingly, a third of the participants described the parliament using terms like “disastrous,” “atrocious,” and “catastrophic.”

Spain is gearing up for new elections, projected to occur by August 22, 2027, at the latest. While the conservative Popular Party gained the most seats in the August 2023 elections, Sánchez and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) managed to stay in power through strategic alliances with several smaller left-wing parties. Consequently, the PSOE secured enough votes to extend Sánchez’s term for another four years.

As the election draws near, the PSOE and the Sánchez administration are navigating a particularly challenging climate. They have been troubled by a series of corruption issues and a broad sense of discontent. One of the most controversial decisions has been a mass amnesty plan, which allows around 1.2 million undocumented immigrants to apply for legal status and all its associated benefits.

The survey, carried out by the Spanish market research firm sigma dos for the newspaper El Mundo, painted a grim picture for the current socialist government. Over 60% of respondents expressed negative opinions about the Spanish parliament, with only a small minority of 12% viewing it as “good, positive, and competent.”

Breaking down that 60%, about 30.3% described their view as “disastrous” or worse. Additionally, 31% of respondents disapproved of any accomplishments attributed to the existing government.

Negative sentiments were echoed through descriptors like “deceptive,” “fraudulent,” “disorganized,” “unstable,” “confused,” and “disappointing.” Amid this widespread rejection, a significant 41% believe the elections might be pushed forward to early 2027.

The survey also examined public opinions on specific decisions made by the current Congress. Not surprisingly, 53.6% expressed discontent with the mass amnesty for illegal immigrants.

On the topic of military spending for Spain as a NATO member, the split is relatively close: 48.4% support increasing the budget, while 42.2% oppose it. Meanwhile, about 9.3% declined to answer.

This survey is part of a broader investigation by sigma dos, as reported by El Mundo, which claimed that the PSOE might be facing a considerable loss in the upcoming elections, potentially losing around 17 seats. This could hinder the left from forming any new coalition government, unlike the scenario in 2023.

Conversely, the projections from sigma dos suggest that both the People’s Party and the populist party Vox could significantly increase their presence in parliament next year, setting the stage for a possible coalition between these two right-leaning factions.