Spain opposition party's lead narrows vs Socialists - poll

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/08/07/uk-spain-elections-idUKTRE7760YA20110807

Aug 7 (Reuters) - Spain's opposition Popular Party (PP) would win elections in November with a smaller absolute majority than shown in polls taken before last week's announcement of early elections, a survey showed on Sunday.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero brought forward elections to November 20 from Spring 2012, betting that a pick-up in jobs data over the summer will help the Socialists at the polls, or at least help it avoid a PP majority.

But, according to a DYM poll in newspaper ABC, the centre-right PP would gain 47.6 percent of the vote compared with 35 percent for the ruling Socialists, giving the PP an absolute majority in parliament. Polls out before Zapatero's announcement gave the opposition a lead of about 14 percentage points.

A minority government of either party would depend on support from regional nationalist parties to pass the budget and make key reforms.