Most Spaniards disapprove of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s handling of the Ceuta migration crisis, while support for the country’s two main right-wing parties has climbed above 50%, according to a poll released on Monday.
The 40dB survey of 2,000 people, conducted for El País newspaper and radio station SER, found that a majority rated the government’s response to the deadly mass crossings into Spain’s North African enclave in late July as bad or very bad.
Only 14.2% viewed Sánchez’s handling positively, and two-thirds said his government had reacted too slowly.
Nearly nine in 10 respondents — 89% — identified Morocco as bearing the greatest responsibility for the crisis. Significant majorities also assigned blame to human-trafficking networks, at 75%, social media disinformation, at 74%, and the migrants themselves, at 73%. Some 72% held the Spanish government responsible.
The findings also pointed to strong support for tougher border measures. Seven in 10 respondents prioritised tighter border controls over protecting vulnerable migrants, while 82% supported expanding border fencing and surveillance.
The conservative People’s Party and the far-right, anti-immigration Vox party together drew 50.2% of voting intentions. According to the poll, this was the first time their potential alliance had crossed the 50% threshold in a survey during the current parliamentary term. Support for the centre-left bloc stood at 36.1%.
The People’s Party rose to 32.4%, up from 32% in the previous 40dB poll in July, while Vox increased to 17.8% from 17.2%. Sánchez’s Socialist Party slipped to 27.6% from 28%.
Vox also led when respondents were asked which party was best equipped to handle immigration. About 27% chose Vox, compared with 18.4% for the Socialists and 13.9% for the People’s Party.
The shifts were consistent with several other polls conducted after the Ceuta border surge.
