The majority of Catalans don't trust acting Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez. That's one of the findings of the latest survey by CIS (Centre for Sociological Research), carried out in the immediate run-up to the 10th November repeat general election. 82.4% of those asked in Catalonia say they have no or little confidence in PSOE's leader, showing even less trust in him than the rest of Spain does (76.1%).

More specifically, almost half of Catalans (46.1%) say they have "no confidence" in Sánchez, leaving 36.3% with "little confidence". CIS also asked about the leader of PP, Pablo Casado, who fares even worse, with results of 75.8% and 16.0% respectively.

Later asked which Spanish political leader seems most "trustworthy" to them, the most popular choice for Catalans was Podemos's Pablo Iglesias on 23.7%, followed at some distance by Pedro Sánchez on 14.8%. Albert Rivera, the now former leader of Ciudadanos, came last of those listed individually in the results on 2.2%, behind far-right Vox's Santiago Abascal (2.6%) and PP's Pablo Casado (3.6%).

Iglesias versus Sánchez

Iglesias is also the Spanish political leader Catalans find most sincere, 27.0% choosing him, again, far ahead of Pedro Sánchez on 13.3%. Indeed, in Catalonia, he draws with Sánchez on "most prepared to govern" (19.5%), the two being the only ones picked by more than 5%, and is found the "most open to dialogue" (34.5% to Sánchez's 13.1%).

The Podemos leader is currently negotiating giving Sánchez his support for the PSOE leader's return as prime minister, although they would also need to agree either the support or abstention of some of the smaller parties. In Catalonia, however, asked in the run-up to the election, 27.0% preferred the idea of Iglesias as prime minister, over 19.5% who wanted Sánchez. Again, no other candidate reached double figures; the most popular choice, however, was "none of them" (31.4%).