# Leadership opinion polling for the 2000 Spanish general election

In the run up to the 2000 Spanish general election, various organisations carried out opinion polling to gauge the opinions that voters hold towards political leaders. Results of such polls are displayed in this article. The date range for these opinion polls is from the previous general election, held on 3 March 1996, to the day the next election was held, on 12 March 2000.

## Preferred prime minister

The table below lists opinion polling on leader preferences to become prime minister.

### Aznar vs. Almunia

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | Almunia PSOE | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Vox Pública/El Periódico | 28 Feb–1 Mar 2000 | 2,300 | 47.3 | 34.0 | 6.3 | 12.4 | 13.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 24–28 Feb 2000 | 3,000 | 40.5 | 35.4 | 4.6 | 19.5 | 5.1 |
| CIS | 11–28 Feb 2000 | 24,040 | 43.7 | 30.5 | 18.3 | 7.5 | 13.2 |
| Vox Pública/El Periódico | 5–8 Feb 2000 | 2,300 | 50.7 | 30.0 | 7.9 | 11.3 | 20.7 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 22–25 Jan 2000 | 3,000 | 37.3 | 32.3 | 7.6 | 22.8 | 5.0 |
| Vox Pública/El Periódico | 11–18 Jan 2000 | 2,300 | 53.6 | 29.9 | 10.1 | 6.3 | 23.7 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–22 Nov 1999 | 3,000 | 37.0 | 31.2 | 9.0 | 22.8 | 5.8 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 23–24 Jan 1998 | 1,000 | 35.4 | 30.1 | 10.4 | 24.1 | 5.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 4–5 Dec 1997 | 1,000 | 33.4 | 32.0 | 7.4 | 27.2 | 1.4 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–21 Sep 1997 | 1,000 | 30.0 | 31.0 | 11.4 | 27.6 | 1.0 |

### Aznar vs. Borrell

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | Borrell PSOE | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 21–23 Jan 1999 | 1,000 | 32.0 | 33.2 | 9.9 | 24.9 | 1.2 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 13–14 Nov 1998 | 1,000 | 30.8 | 33.1 | 9.7 | 26.4 | 2.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 13 May 1998 | 1,000 | 30.7 | 38.2 | 9.1 | 22.0 | 7.5 |
| Demoscopia/El País | 25 Apr 1998 | 1,200 | 30.0 | 40.0 | 30.0 | 30.0 | 10.0 |

### Aznar vs. González

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | González PSOE | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 23–24 Jan 1998 | 1,000 | 35.2 | 33.5 | 10.3 | 21.0 | 1.7 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 4–5 Dec 1997 | 1,000 | 34.2 | 34.8 | 7.5 | 23.5 | 0.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–21 Sep 1997 | 1,000 | 30.9 | 35.3 | 11.0 | 22.8 | 4.4 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 14–16 Jun 1997 | 1,000 | 30.0 | 31.0 | 13.2 | 25.7 | 1.0 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 May 1997 | 1,000 | 29.9 | 28.3 | 15.0 | 26.8 | 1.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 Apr 1997 | 1,000 | 31.1 | 31.4 | 13.3 | 24.2 | 0.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 7–8 Mar 1997 | 1,000 | 32.2 | 32.8 | 13.4 | 23.6 | 0.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 3–4 Feb 1997 | 1,000 | 29.5 | 32.0 | 13.6 | 24.9 | 2.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 30 Sep–2 Oct 1996 | 1,066 | 26.9 | 34.3 | 11.7 | 27.1 | 7.4 |

## Predicted prime minister

The table below lists opinion polling on the perceived likelihood for each leader to become prime minister.

### Aznar vs. Almunia

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | Almunia PSOE | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 24–28 Feb 2000 | 3,000 | 60.0 | 16.7 | 0.3 | 23.0 | 43.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 22–25 Jan 2000 | 3,000 | 64.3 | 12.1 | 1.2 | 22.4 | 52.2 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–22 Nov 1999 | 3,000 | 64.1 | 11.8 | 0.7 | 23.4 | 52.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 23–24 Jan 1998 | 1,000 | 61.5 | 12.9 | 2.4 | 23.2 | 48.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 4–5 Dec 1997 | 1,000 | 56.8 | 13.9 | 2.0 | 27.3 | 42.9 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–21 Sep 1997 | 1,000 | 46.6 | 19.4 | 4.3 | 29.7 | 27.2 |

### Aznar vs. Borrell

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | Borrell PSOE | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 21–23 Jan 1999 | 1,000 | 62.8 | 12.2 | 2.1 | 22.9 | 50.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 13–14 Nov 1998 | 1,000 | 55.9 | 14.6 | 2.3 | 27.2 | 41.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 13 May 1998 | 1,000 | 47.5 | 25.7 | 2.7 | 24.1 | 21.8 |

### Aznar vs. González

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | González PSOE | Other/ None/ Not care | ? | Lead |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 23–24 Jan 1998 | 1,000 | 59.2 | 19.0 | 2.4 | 19.4 | 40.2 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 4–5 Dec 1997 | 1,000 | 53.6 | 21.2 | 2.1 | 23.1 | 32.4 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–21 Sep 1997 | 1,000 | 45.7 | 27.9 | 5.1 | 21.3 | 17.8 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 14–16 Jun 1997 | 1,000 | 41.0 | 25.0 | 5.6 | 28.3 | 16.0 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 May 1997 | 1,000 | 39.6 | 27.1 | 5.4 | 27.9 | 12.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 Apr 1997 | 1,000 | 40.5 | 28.0 | 4.9 | 26.7 | 12.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 7–8 Mar 1997 | 1,000 | 38.4 | 31.8 | 5.8 | 24.0 | 6.6 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 3–4 Feb 1997 | 1,000 | 34.0 | 33.9 | 5.7 | 26.4 | 0.1 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 30 Sep–2 Oct 1996 | 1,066 | 37.7 | 27.4 | 5.1 | 27.1 | 10.3 |

## Leader ratings

The table below lists opinion polling on leader ratings, on a 0–10 scale: 0 would stand for a "terrible" rating, whereas 10 would stand for "excellent".
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | | | | | | | | |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Aznar PP | González PSOE | Almunia PSOE | Borrell PSOE | Anguita IU | Frutos IU | Pujol CiU | Arzalluz PNV |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 24–28 Feb 2000 | 3,000 | 5.4 | – | 5.1 | – | – | 4.7 | – | – |
| CIS | 11–28 Feb 2000 | 24,040 | 5.29 | – | 4.82 | – | – | 4.11 | 3.54 | 1.99 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 22–25 Jan 2000 | 3,000 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 5.0 | – | – | 4.4 | 4.4 | 2.4 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–22 Nov 1999 | 3,000 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.7 | – | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 2.7 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 21–23 Jan 1999 | 1,000 | 5.3 | 5.3 | – | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 2.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 13–14 Nov 1998 | 1,000 | 5.5 | 5.1 | – | 5.1 | 4.3 | – | 4.2 | 2.9 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 13 May 1998 | 1,000 | 5.1 | 5.2 | – | 5.3 | 4.4 | – | 4.4 | 3.1 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 23–24 Jan 1998 | 1,000 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.2 | – | 4.0 | – | 4.3 | 3.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 4–5 Dec 1997 | 1,000 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.3 | – | 3.9 | – | 4.2 | 3.1 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–21 Sep 1997 | 1,000 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.3 | – | 3.6 | – | 4.0 | 3.4 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 14–16 Jun 1997 | 1,000 | 5.2 | 5.1 | – | – | 4.2 | – | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 May 1997 | 1,000 | 5.2 | 5.0 | – | – | 4.1 | – | 4.0 | 3.2 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 19–20 Apr 1997 | 1,000 | 5.2 | 5.2 | – | – | 4.3 | – | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 7–8 Mar 1997 | 1,000 | 5.4 | 5.6 | – | – | 4.7 | – | 4.5 | 3.5 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 3–4 Feb 1997 | 1,000 | 4.9 | 5.0 | – | – | 4.2 | – | 4.3 | 3.3 |
| Opina/La Vanguardia | 30 Sep–2 Oct 1996 | 1,066 | 5.1 | 5.5 | – | – | 4.0 | – | 4.1 | 3.6 |

## Approval ratings

The tables below list the public approval ratings of the leaders and leading candidates of the main political parties in Spain.

### José María Aznar

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | José María Aznar (PP) | José María Aznar (PP) | José María Aznar (PP) | José María Aznar (PP) |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Y | N | ? | Net |
| Gallup | 2–27 Sep 1999 | 2,029 | 35.0 | 41.0 | 24.0 | −6.0 |

### Joaquín Almunia

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Joaquín Almunia (PSOE) | Joaquín Almunia (PSOE) | Joaquín Almunia (PSOE) | Joaquín Almunia (PSOE) |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Y | N | ? | Net |
| Gallup | 2–27 Sep 1999 | 2,029 | 27.0 | 36.0 | 37.0 | −9.0 |

### Felipe González

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Felipe González (PSOE) | Felipe González (PSOE) | Felipe González (PSOE) | Felipe González (PSOE) |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Y | N | ? | Net |
| Gallup | 2–27 Sep 1999 | 2,029 | 39.0 | 33.0 | 28.0 | +6.0 |

### Julio Anguita

| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Julio Anguita (IU) | Julio Anguita (IU) | Julio Anguita (IU) | Julio Anguita (IU) |
| Polling firm/Commissioner | Fieldwork date | Sample size | Y | N | ? | Net |
| Gallup | 2–27 Sep 1999 | 2,029 | 19.0 | 51.0 | 30.0 | −32.0 |