SHARE
COPY LINK
GENERAL ELECTION

POLITICS

Facebook reveals Spain cannot stop talking about Prime Minister Rajoy

Spain's Facebook users seemingly mention Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy more than any other leader, but whether they like him or not is another matter…

Facebook reveals Spain cannot stop talking about Prime Minister Rajoy
Photo: AFP

Rajoy receives the most mentions on Facebook of all of Spain’s party leaders, the social network has revealed.

The leader of Spain’s conservative Popular Party, receives 81 percent of mentions on the site, way ahead of the next most-mentioned political leader, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias at 33 percent.

The next most talked about leaders are Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera (22 percent), Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez (15 percent) and Alberto Garzón of the United Left (11 percent). 

Facebook has also been monitoring which political parties have been most mentioned on the site: the Popular Party are currently in the lead, with 53 percent of mentions followed by relative newcomers Podemos, with 52 percent. 

Facebook measured all content related to Spain’s main parties and political leaders, taking into account the number of likes, shares and comments.

The sum of the mentions adds up to more than 100 percent because Facebook commentators often mention more than one political leader or party in the same post.

But while Facebook has revealed which political leaders are the most mentioned, it has not monitored whether people are saying good or bad things.

If the latest polls are anything to go by, Spaniards are most likely complaining about their Prime Minister.

In November, a poll from Spain’s Centre for Sociological Research (CIS) revealed that over half of Spaniards had “no confidence” in Rajoy, while nearly a third had “little confidence” in the Spanish prime minister.

Facebook has been monitoring Spaniards in the run up to the country’s general election on December 20th. Around 21 million Spaniards have accounts on the site.

It is not the only company monitoring Spaniards’ views ahead of the elections; Google recently revealed the most googled political leaders and the burning questions people had about their political leaders.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

POLITICS

Spain rejects Argentinian claim PM Sánchez ruining the country

Spain on Saturday denounced comments by Argentina's presidency which had accused the Spanish government of bringing "poverty and death" to its own people.

Spain rejects Argentinian claim PM Sánchez ruining the country

The office of Argentinian President Javier Milei had published a statement on Twitter/X, accusing Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of damaging Spain’s economy and stability.

The post appears to have been in reaction to earlier comments from Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente who had suggested Milei is on drugs.

“The Spanish government categorically rejects the unfounded words… which do not reflect the relations between the two countries and their fraternal people,” the Spanish foreign ministry said.

Milei’s office also accused Sanchez of “endangering the unity of the kingdom, by sealing an agreement with the separatists and leading Spain to its ruin”, an allusion to a pact Sanchez’s Socialist Party struck with Basque and Catalan regionalist parties to form a government.

Milei will travel to Spain in two weeks for an event on May 18 and 19 organised by the far-right opposition party Vox, which is in a race with the Socialists in next month’s European elections.

SHOW COMMENTS