He blames the criticism of the CIS polls on “prejudice” and predicts that there will soon be more that put the PSOE ahead
MADRID, 18 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), José Félix Tezanos, has ended the “honeymoon” of the electorate with the president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, since he considers that people have seen that “he has made mistakes” and that he does not have “the necessary knowledge” to lead.
For this reason, he defends the CIS polls that give the victory of the PSOE and has attributed this Tuesday to “prejudice” and “lack of information” the criticism that the demographic institute has been receiving. Moreover, he has predicted that “in the coming days” there will be more studies that place the Socialists ahead of the PP in voting intentions.
This is what he said at an informative breakfast at the ‘New Economy Forum’ in which he once again defended the “rigor” of the CIS and underlined that, like everyone else, he has an “ideology” but that he “never” has “falsified a fact”.
“It’s absurd, why falsify? Before a liar is caught than a lame man,” he said, stressing that “discussing polls is putting yourself in a losing position” because they are only questioned by those who do not do well in them.
In this context, he has insisted on contrasting the large samples and methods of the CIS with those of private pollsters who, for example, work with very small samples or resort to the method of panels of volunteers to be interviewed who charge for it.
“We do 4,000 interviews, that’s worth four surveys of the others”, he stressed, while reiterating that the surveys are “valid” for the time they are done, that sociologists are not “fortune tellers” and that the reality is “dynamic and changing”.
Thus, he explained the polls reflect “long dominance” of different parties and that now it is the PSOE’s turn. That, he has pointed out, was also the case even though the previous leader of the PP, Pablo Casado, was ahead in other polls. “Someone in the PP realized that this was not the case and there were some changes,” he released.
The head of the CIS has pointed out that to calculate the intention to vote, other factors must also be taken into account, such as the preference to preside over the government and the sympathy that each party arouses.
After this reminder, he explained, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, lived a “honeymoon moment” after his appointment and even the CIS placed him as the first force in June but later suffered a “certain deterioration” of his image because there were people who realized that “they did not have the necessary knowledge to form certain leaderships” and made “several mistakes.”
To this, in his opinion, was added the debate that he starred in with Sánchez at the beginning of September in the Senate, similar to the one that he will face both again this Tuesday. In this context, he has anticipated that “in the coming days” there will be more polls along the lines of the one made public by the CIS on Monday, in which the PSOE strengthened its advantage over the PP.
According to Tezanos, citizens are “very sensitive” to the fact that “there are institutional agreements” and he has dropped that a pact to renew the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) would help improve Feijóo’s image. “Any leader who encourages that is going to win,” he said.
On the other hand, he has spoken of the influence that the pandemic, war and climate change may have on the next general elections. In his opinion, given the “insecurity” derived from these recent episodes, citizens have once again called for “the protective role of the State” and have turned towards “social democratic positions.” Although he has admitted that “this does not guarantee any electoral results” he has explained that this climate has also settled in Spanish public opinion at this time.
It is based on the fact that 62% of the interviewees are located in ideological positions of the left –growing more those of the moderate left–, compared to 30% who are placed in those of the right.
“The Spaniards at this time are located in the moderate center-left, with a role that defends that the State protects more those most in need”, he added, highlighting that now it is requested to prioritize budget items for research and health against infrastructures that were the favorites before.
Regarding the fall of Vox, which in the October barometer falls below 10% support for the first time and registers its worst figure in the legislature, Tezanos has indicated that a trend of “returning votes” to the PP is detected, it continues to be “unifying” of the right despite the fact that Feijóo’s “lower prestige”.
“Does that mean that we can go to an imperfect bipartisanship? We don’t know, there may be a useful voting trend,” he admitted, adding that on the right this is already seen because Ciudadanos “practically disappears” and vote is transferred from Vox to the PP . “When there is concern, restlessness and people are afraid, sometimes they look for strong leaders and security,” she asserted.
On the other hand, Tezanos has commented that he does not contemplate that Sánchez opt for an advance of the general elections and believes that the president, who enjoys an important “international role” will take advantage of the rotating Presidency of the European Union that corresponds to Spain in the second half of 2023.
In another moment of the colloquium, Tezanos has recognized that “there is something that does not go well” in the answers given by the interviewees about the economic situation, because while 73% disqualify it, 65% maintain that their personal finances are doing well.
“There is something that is wrong in the structuring of opinion in Spanish society at this time,” he said, slipping that “states of opinion are created” and alluding to the theory of “self-fulfilling prophecy.” In his opinion, the parties should “promote states of pride” instead of states of “twitching.”
