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Spanish Sociologists Confirm Ruling Party’s Lead in Upcoming Elections

14 October 2026 at 15:55

The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leads the projected vote share with 34%, while the People’s Party (PP) stands at 22.2%, according to the October barometer from the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), conducted between October 1 and 6 with 5,025 interviews.

RELATED:

Marches in Spain Honor Maricarmen, the Evicted Woman Who Died Amid the Housing Crisis

The poll, carried out following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal and amidst the ongoing debate over housing in Spain, gives the Socialists a projected 34% of the vote—three points higher than in September. The People’s Party dropped 3.3 points to 22.2%, widening the gap between the two parties to 11.8 points as the pre-campaign period for the November 29 general election begins.

Meanwhile, the ultra-conservative party Vox has solidified its position as the third-largest political force with 17.1% support, up half a point from the previous barometer. For its part, Frente Amplio reaches 6.1% and Podemos obtains 3.1% of the estimated vote.

The survey was published following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal on September 23 and the elderly woman’s death on October 7. The case sparked protests and encampments advocating for the right to housing in several Spanish cities.

Housing remains the primary concern for Spaniards, cited by 55.7% of respondents. It is followed by immigration (20.9%) and the economic crisis (20.3%).

📊 El 82,3% de los españoles coincide en que hay que priorizar “el derecho a la vivienda como un derecho constitucional”

👉 Este y otros datos, están recogidos en el barómetro de octubre: https://t.co/BW9SF9tJy4 pic.twitter.com/dxCku36Hr4

— Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (@CIS_Institucion) October 14, 2026

The text reads, “82.3% of Spaniards agree that priority must be given to “the right to housing as a constitutional right.” This and other data are included in the October barometer”

Additionally, 82.3% of those surveyed believe that the right to housing should be prioritized as a constitutional right. An earlier CIS barometer, published on October 8, already showed that 91% of respondents called for more public housing and 76% supported state intervention in the sector.

88.9% of those surveyed stated they had heard about Maricarmen’s case. Among those aware of the eviction, 57.1% maintained that the protection of vulnerable people is the most important aspect.

The government introduced two housing decree-laws, but they were rejected in Congress by conservative parties. That parliamentary defeat precipitated the call for early elections announced by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on October 5.

Mobilizations regarding access to housing will continue with a general housing strike scheduled for November 11, amidst a climate where the housing crisis sits at the center of the political and electoral agenda.

The barometer also reflects heightened concern regarding the war in the Middle East: 72.6% of respondents described themselves as “very” or “quite” concerned—an increase of 2.5 points compared to the previous survey. The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a source of concern for 68.4%, while 73.6% are worried about climate change.

#Spain | From one eviction to a nationwide political reckoning.
Mari Carmen's death comes as Spain heads toward snap elections, with housing rights and rising rents at the center of a growing national debate.#HousingCrisis #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/OhiGM0VBMU

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 8, 2026

Who Will the Next Party Leaders Be?

13 October 2026 at 13:00

Amid renewed speculation about an early General Election, now is the time to look at whom to put money on as the next party leaders, says Mark Littlewood in his latest Political Betting column for the Daily Sceptic.

The post Who Will the Next Party Leaders Be? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

You Can’t Put Passion on a Fancy Lanyard

8 October 2026 at 09:00

The Conservative Party Conference was slick and professional, says Ellie Hodges, but Reform's conference, while more chaotic, had the kind of passion that you don't get from a fancy lanyard.

The post You Can’t Put Passion on a Fancy Lanyard appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Why Israel Has the Right to Exist

7 October 2026 at 15:11

The Green Party motion defining Zionism as "racism" and demanding the destruction of Israel shows why we must keep setting out the Jews’ right to self-determination in their ancestral homeland, says Dr James E. Patrick.

The post Why Israel Has the Right to Exist appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Sánchez’s Housing Gamble: Why Spain’s Snap Election Is Riskier Than It Looks

7 October 2026 at 11:25

Pedro Sánchez has turned a parliamentary defeat over housing into a general election on 29th November.

The calculation is clear: force Spain’s political argument onto territory more favourable to the left before migration, corruption allegations and parliamentary paralysis return to the foreground. But the polls suggest that the gamble could still deliver power to the centre-right People’s Party and Vox.

Pedro Sánchez’s decision to dissolve Spain’s parliament nine months ahead of schedule is more than an admission that his minority government had reached the limits of what it could achieve in the Congress of Deputies. It is an attempt to choose the terms on which his government will be judged.

The immediate trigger was the defeat of two emergency housing decrees after the conservative People’s Party (PP), Vox and Catalan separatist Junts voted against them. Housing had already moved rapidly to the centre of Spanish politics following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid flat where she had lived for 71 years, followed by large demonstrations across the country. EU Today has previously reported on both the housing protests across Spain and Sánchez’s subsequent decision to call the election.

The prime minister is now attempting to convert legislative weakness into electoral advantage.

In his announcement on 5 October, Sánchez presented the election as a choice between a broader progressive majority capable of advancing social legislation and an opposition that had obstructed measures on housing and other domestic priorities. The government reinforced that strategy a day later by approving revised versions of the two housing decrees, containing 21 measures including tax incentives, assistance for first-time buyers and measures intended to increase supply. They will require validation by the Diputación Permanente, the standing parliamentary body that remains after dissolution.

The political calculation is straightforward. Housing offers Sánchez an issue on which anger is directed not only at government but at landlords, property investors, regional authorities and political parties opposing stronger regulation. The eviction of Abascal gave that argument a human symbol and transformed a long-running affordability problem into an immediate political confrontation.

That does not mean the strategy will work.

Most polling continues to place the PSOE behind the PP. Surveys put the Socialists at roughly 28 per cent, while Vox has risen to around 18 per cent. A PP-Vox combination is currently the only bloc consistently projected to command an outright parliamentary majority. One Sigma Dos survey published after the election announcement projected the two parties winning 203 of the Congress’s 350 seats.

Sánchez therefore appears to be playing less for immediate dominance than for mobilisation.

His problem before the housing protests was not simply the strength of the right. The broader left had become fragmented, while the government was being damaged by disputes over migration, particularly following the crisis in Ceuta, as well as corruption investigations involving figures associated with the PSOE. At the same time, Junts had become an increasingly unreliable parliamentary partner, leaving the government unable to guarantee major legislation or a new budget.

Housing changes the subject.

It allows Sánchez to argue that the central question is not whether his coalition has governed smoothly, but whether voters want a parliament prepared to intervene more aggressively in the housing market. The PP, however, is contesting precisely that framing. Alberto Núñez Feijóo argues that the housing shortage is itself a product of Sánchez’s eight years in government and has promised to raise annual construction towards 200,000 homes while reducing taxes.

The election may therefore develop into a dispute over responsibility rather than diagnosis. Both sides accept that housing has become a major national problem; they differ sharply over whether regulation or additional supply should dominate the response.

There is also a wider European dimension. Housing affordability is increasingly politically disruptive across the EU, including in major cities where construction has failed to keep pace with household formation, migration and demand for short-term accommodation. EU Today has examined similar pressures in Berlin’s housing market. Spain could now provide a test of whether housing can become powerful enough as an electoral issue to reverse the wider European movement towards the right.

For Ukraine, however, the consequences are likely to be less dramatic than Spain’s domestic political contest might suggest.

Sánchez committed €1 billion in bilateral military support to Ukraine for 2026, with Spain putting its cumulative bilateral military assistance since Russia’s full-scale invasion at almost €4 billion. Madrid has also trained more than 9,000 Ukrainian military personnel.

Spain is also home to a considerably larger Ukrainian community than the roughly 300,000 figure frequently cited. Government data showed 353,009 Ukrainian nationals holding valid residence documentation at the end of June, including 262,782 under temporary protection.

A PP-led government would alter Madrid’s domestic priorities and potentially its approach to defence spending and migration, particularly if Vox were required to sustain a parliamentary majority. Yet there is little basis at present for assuming that a change of government would produce a reversal of Spain’s fundamental position on Russia’s invasion or membership of the European and Atlantic security structures supporting Ukraine.

The more immediate question is whether Sánchez can make housing important enough to overcome the electoral arithmetic confronting him.

Calling the election has allowed him to escape a parliament in which his legislative coalition was steadily disintegrating and to enter a campaign around an issue capable of mobilising his electorate. It has not changed the fact that the PP and Vox begin that campaign with the stronger numbers.

Sánchez has chosen the battlefield. On 29th November, Spain will decide whether that was enough.

Green Behind Zionism Vote is “Good Friend” of Al-Qaeda Terrorist

6 October 2026 at 19:30

The Green Party member behind the "Zionism is racism” motion is close friends with an al-Qaeda terrorist who plotted to bomb passengers landing at Heathrow from Israel.

The post Green Behind Zionism Vote is “Good Friend” of Al-Qaeda Terrorist appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Leader of populist, far-right party LAOS arrested for insurance fraud

6 October 2026 at 14:20

Filippos Kambouris, a Trash TV presenter and president of the right-wing populist LAOS party, has been arrested over his alleged leading role in a scheme to defraud the Greek state to the tune of millions of euros. Citing police sources, media noted later on Tuesday according to preliminary findings losses to e-EFKA and the Greek […]

The post Leader of populist, far-right party LAOS arrested for insurance fraud appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

Betting Against Burnham

5 October 2026 at 15:43

Labour may be enjoying a Burnham bounce, but Mark Littlewood still thinks the smart option is to bet against the Prime Minister winning the next General Election. He explains why in the Daily Sceptic.

The post Betting Against Burnham appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Poll finds 49% of Britons support rejoining the European Union

3 October 2026 at 10:35

Nearly half of voters in the United Kingdom support rejoining the European Union, according to a survey released as Prime Minister Andy Burnham reviews the country’s options for its long-term relationship with the bloc.

The Messina Group polled 11,461 people between 12 and 24 September. It found that 49 per cent supported EU membership and 28.5 per cent opposed it. The findings were weighted by respondents’ votes in the 2016 referendum, according to the survey results.

Several other options for closer cooperation also received more support than opposition. Retaining the current relationship while removing as many trade barriers as possible was backed by 48.2 per cent, with 20.9 per cent against. A customs union was supported by 47.1 per cent and opposed by 20.7 per cent.

Joining the single market was supported by 45.1 per cent, while 45.5 per cent backed associate membership. The existing relationship without further changes received 42 per cent support. Moving further away from the EU was the least popular option tested: 27.9 per cent supported it and 41.2 per cent opposed it.

The figures show support for a range of possible arrangements, but do not establish agreement on what Britain should seek or on the terms it should accept.

On timing, 25.9 per cent said the UK should rejoin immediately, 22.9 per cent favoured doing so within three years and 8.4 per cent within the next decade. A further 23 per cent said they did not want closer relations with the EU.

Respondents were also asked whether leaving the bloc had been the right decision. Some 52.4 per cent said it was wrong, compared with 29.7 per cent who said it was right; 17.9 per cent were undecided. Asked whether Brexit had been a success or failure, 54.9 per cent called it a failure and 12.2 per cent a success. Nearly a quarter, 23.2 per cent, said neither, while 9.7 per cent did not know.

The poll tested the possible electoral effects of different Labour positions on Europe. It found that scenarios involving closer ties could increase the party’s vote share by between 4.3 and 7.4 percentage points. The largest potential rise was linked to a proposal for a referendum in which Burnham campaigned for Britain to rejoin.

Burnham has said Labour will review the choices available, including keeping current arrangements, joining a customs union, returning to the single market or seeking EU membership. He plans to set out the options around the next UK-EU summit, expected in November. In recent remarks, he said the government would assess “what is doable” and the “pros and cons” of each option.

The review marks a shift from Labour’s 2024 election manifesto, which ruled out rejoining the EU, single market or customs union. Burnham has not proposed an immediate application or referendum. A UK bid for membership would require negotiations with the EU and unanimous agreement from member states.

The question of whether a referendum should come first also remains open. Almost a third of respondents said a vote would be needed before rejoining. More than one in six thought a general-election mandate would be sufficient, with a similar proportion saying Parliament could make the decision.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez have said the EU would welcome a British return. Their comments followed Burnham’s call for a review of Britain’s options, as EU Today reported this week. Earlier EU Today coverage also examined British and EU public support for a possible return.

Germany’s ruling coalition pushes to outlaw its biggest opposition party

By: SGT
2 October 2026 at 03:00
by Cassie B., Natural News: Germany’s governing coalition is pushing to explore banning the right-wing AfD party by year’s end AfD now leads national polls at 29.5 percent, more than double the vote share of its leading challenger Chancellor Friedrich Merz is skeptical of a ban, but a top official in his own party backs […]
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