MADRID, April 12 (Reuters) - Spain's main opposition party has taken the lead in opinion polls before European parliament elections in June as rising unemployment turns voters away from the governing Socialists.
The conservative Popular Party edged to a 4.5 point lead over the Socialists in opinion polls published in Spanish newspapers on Sunday ahead of the June 4-7 election.
Despite a 70 billion euro ($92.96 billion) government stimulus package to keep the economy afloat, unemployment in Spain has almost doubled from pre-crisis levels to 15.5 percent - the highest rate in the European Union.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is keen to set the economy back on track before general elections in 2012 and last week announced a major cabinet reshuffle aimed at reviving a government struggling to overcome a deep recession.
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; editing by Philippa Fletcher) ($1=.7530 Euro) Keywords: SPAIN POLL/ (tracy.rucinski@thomsonreuters.com; RM tracy.rucinski.reuters.com@reuters.net; +34 91 585 2153) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
The conservative Popular Party edged to a 4.5 point lead over the Socialists in opinion polls published in Spanish newspapers on Sunday ahead of the June 4-7 election.
Despite a 70 billion euro ($92.96 billion) government stimulus package to keep the economy afloat, unemployment in Spain has almost doubled from pre-crisis levels to 15.5 percent - the highest rate in the European Union.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is keen to set the economy back on track before general elections in 2012 and last week announced a major cabinet reshuffle aimed at reviving a government struggling to overcome a deep recession.
(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski; editing by Philippa Fletcher) ($1=.7530 Euro) Keywords: SPAIN POLL/ (tracy.rucinski@thomsonreuters.com; RM tracy.rucinski.reuters.com@reuters.net; +34 91 585 2153) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
© 2009 AFX News
