Spain’s Socialists gain support amid PM’s opposition to US-Israeli war on Iran

Spain’s ruling Socialist Party has seen an uptick in voter support, fueled by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s outspoken opposition to the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, while far-right Vox, which backs the offensive, has experienced a decline, according to two surveys published on April 6.

Sanchez has emerged as one of the most vocal Western leaders criticising what he calls an “illegal and reckless war,” taking decisive measures such as closing Spanish airspace to U.S. aircraft involved in the strikes and banning their use of jointly operated military bases in southern Spain, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Vox, closely allied with U.S. President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement, has sharply criticised Sanchez’s stance.

A survey by state pollster CIS showed last month that 85% of respondents rejected the war.

The April 6 poll by Sigma Dos for newspaper El Mundo showed support for Sanchez’s Socialists rising to 27.7% from 26.4% last month, narrowing the gap with the conservative People’s Party (PP). Another survey, conducted by 40dB for El Pais, put the Socialists at 28.6%, up from 27.7%.

Meanwhile, Vox fell to 17.1% in April from 18.3% according to Sigma Dos, and slipped slightly to 18.7% in the 40dB survey.

The PP topped both polls, securing 32.5% and 31.1% of voting intentions, respectively, up by less than one percentage point in each survey. The party has accused Sanchez of harming transatlantic relations and has refrained from publicly denouncing Trump or Israel, although its leader has echoed the “no to war” slogan.

Pollsters noted a trend of voters moving away from the political extremes toward the mainstream parties. The PP appears to be stemming the flow of votes to Vox, while the Socialists are gaining former supporters of its hard-left junior coalition partner, Sumar.

Despite these shifts, Spain’s fragmented electorate means coalition governments remain necessary, and both polls indicate a right-wing majority would prevail if elections were held today.

The next general election in Spain is scheduled for August 2027.

Each survey polled roughly 2,000 people and carried a margin of error of 2.2%.

By Sabina Mammadli