New ruling popular party in Spain loses popularity

The ruling Popular Party has seen its popularity drop since winning an overall majority in last November's general elections, but still holds a comfortable poll lead over the opposition Socialist (PSOE) Party according to a poll published on Monday. The Center for Sociological Investigation (CIS) study is a regular barometer of public opinion in Spain. The CIS study shows that the public spending cut and tax increases by the government of Mariano Rajoy have resulted in a 2-percent drop in their popularity. However, the PP still command 42.7 percent of support, a 14.7-percent lead over the PSOE, whose popularity has fallen by a further 0.7 percent since their disastrous electoral showing. The PP obtained 44.62 percent of the vote in November, while the PP took just 28.73 percent. Izquierda Unida (the United Left) continues to gain in popularity and now enjoys a 7.9 percent share, while the main Catalan Nationalist party (CIU) has seen a fall in support, mainly as a result of its own policy of spending cuts in the Autonomous Community of Catalonia. Although the PP still enjoy a comfortable lead, Rajoy's capacity to govern is questioned by many Spaniards with 59.3 percent of those asked responding that they had "little" or "no" confidence in the prime minister.