"July 29 (Reuters) - Spain's prime minister called early elections on Friday, gambling that a summer jobs boom may allow his Socialists to snatch victory despite economic stagnation that has contributed to the euro zone's debt crisis.

Although polls suggest the conservative opposition will easily win the Nov. 20 vote, called four months early, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's Socialists have narrowed the gap in recent months as the economy begins to show faint signs of recovery. [...]
The PP's leader Mariano Rajoy, who could win November's poll by a wide margin, has pledged his conservatives to implementing austerity if they win.
But Rajoy could see his plans set back if the Socialists' candidate, former Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, continues to narrow the gap between the parties.
The poll also showed that Spaniards rate Rubalcaba as more efficient, honest and better at dialogue than Rajoy. " http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/29/spain-elections-idUSL6E7IT11E20110729

"The latest poll published on Wednesday gives the PP a 43.1% share of the vote, down 0.7 from April, and PSOE 36%, up by 2.6 and the only party with improved results."
http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_31483.shtml#ixzz1TVS4V63V