More Spaniards want to recentralize rather than decentralize
Survey indicates that PSOE voters are most in favor of the "status quo” while Podemos voters are the only ones willing to give more power to regional governments
BarcelonaThe willingness to reform Spain is far from predominant among Spaniards. And in the event of having to confront this transformation --as laid out in the agreement between PSOE and Ciudadanos, which includes a federal-style reform of the Constitution-- how this would be dealt with remains to be seen. According to a February survey by Spain’s Center for Sociological Research (CIS), 39.9% of Spaniards are in favor of keeping the current regional model, while 22.7% would prefer to give more powers to the regions and, in contrast, 25.7% would like to see some taken away.
However, only 9.8% of those surveyed --among them practically the entirety of ERC and Democràcia i Llibertat voters-- argue for a State that recognizes the right to secede, as the Generalitat and Catalonia’s pro-independence parties are demanding, although 12.9% call for giving them further responsibilities. In contrast, 8.9% would return powers to the central government, and 16.8% would eliminate them entirely and would opt for a central government without any regional decentralization.
These percentages are similar to previous months' surveys. Although those in favor of recentralization have grown with respect to January, they have not done so in a significant way over earlier months, and the (lack of a) willingness to change and the supporters of one or another option remain within the ranges that the CIS has been suggesting recently.
One third of PP voters want to scrap autonomous regions
Looking at what party they voted for in the Spanish elections of December last year, the number of PP voters in favor of eliminating all regional governments has risen to 31.5%, almost seven points higher than in January. However, 42.1% of them opt for keeping the status quo. As for the PSOE, its voters do not go along with the federalist proposals of PSOE leader Pedro Sánchez, and instead embrace the current autonomic model even more strongly: 53% favor this and only 16% want broader decentralization, less than the 21% who prefer recentralization.
Indeed, the only party whose electorate favors giving more power to the autonomous communities is Podemos. Despite 18.4% who would like to recentralize and 35.5% who are satisfied with the current share of powers, 22.1% would support greater decentralization and 14.7% recognize the right to secede. These latter two percentages are higher than in the January CIS survey.
Interestingly, the push within Ciutadanos to recentralize has waned this past month. While in January 46% of its voters wanted to withdraw regional powers, or eliminate them outright, this percentage has dropped to 38.7% now. In the case of Izquierda Unida, which agrees with Podemos on its defense of a referendum --despite not making it a condition for an agreement with PSOE--, the supporters of recentralization and of decentralization are quite evenly matched.
En Comú Podem, between independence and more decentralization
The Catalan parties, in turn, clearly oppose the status quo. ERC voters (94.5%) and those of Democràcia i Llibertat (73%) demand the right to secede, while those of En Comú Podem are divided between this option (31.8%), greater decentralization (38%), and maintaining the existing level of autonomy (20.3%).
It is surprising that 27.1% of Compromís-Podemos voters are in favor of eliminating the autonomous communities, the second highest percentage after the PP, which contrasts with the fact that only 12.5% of them would increase regional powers and 10.4% would permit independence.
Concerns of the people
As regards the problems of the people, unemployment continues to be the most often cited among the three highest priorities, by 78% of those surveyed. However, concern about corruption and fraud has risen from 39.2% to 47.5% since January, while economic problems take the third position (25.1%), followed by "politicians in general, the parties and politics" (22.2%). Lagging behind is the lack of an agreement to form a government in Spain, mentioned as an issue by 1.4% of those surveyed.
