MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the conservative People’s Party (PP), emerged victorious in a heated televised debate on Monday night, according to a poll published by El Mundo newspaper. The debate took place ahead of an upcoming election later this month.
With Feijoo already leading in the polls, the pressure was on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, a member of the Socialist party, to make a strong case. Despite defending his government’s economic record, Sanchez failed to deliver any significant blows.
According to the Sigma Dos survey for El Mundo, 54% of voters believed Feijoo won the debate, while only 46% sided with Sanchez. Interestingly, the poll also revealed that 22% of past Socialist voters felt that Feijoo came out on top, compared to only 6% of PP supporters who thought Sanchez won.
These findings were in line with the views expressed by other media outlets. “Sanchez was weighed down by his need to win,” wrote Josep Marti Blanch in La Vanguardia. “He entered every corner in one gear too high and that’s why he ended up crashing into himself.”
As the possibility of a clear majority for either party seems unlikely, the election is shaping up to be an ideological battle between those opposed to a potential PP-led government, which may include the far-right Vox party, and those who object to the current Socialist-led coalition that aligns with the far left.
Opinion polls indicate that Feijoo is the likely winner of the election. However, if he forms a coalition with Vox, it would mark the first time since the end of dictatorship and Spain’s return to democracy in the 1970s that a far-right party holds power. This would also contribute to the right-wing trend observed in other European countries, notably Italy.
During the debate, Sanchez aimed to criticize Feijoo for the potential alliance with Vox. In response, Feijoo proposed a deal to the Socialists, suggesting that the winner of the election should govern as a minority rather than forming pacts with the far right, the far left, or regional pro-independence parties.
According to a poll by GAD3 for ABC, a combined PP and Vox alliance would secure 180 seats, exceeding the minimum requirement for a parliamentary majority. On the other hand, the Socialists and the far-left platform Sumar would obtain 140 seats.
Sanchez, who has been in power since 2019, called for this snap election on May 29 after his leftist coalition suffered significant losses in regional and municipal ballots.
The viewership for the debate was disappointingly low, with less than six million people tuning in. The debate was broadcast simultaneously on Antena 3, a right-wing channel, and laSexta, a left-wing channel, both owned by Atresmedia. This marked the lowest viewership figures for an electoral debate in Spain, as reported by Barlovento Comunicacion.
Given that the election falls during the peak of the summer holiday season, it is expected to suffer from a lack of engagement.
(Reporting by Charlie Devereux, editing by Andrei Khalip and Angus MacSwan)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
