Brexit burst into Spain's election campaign Friday, with the outgoing conservatives pledging stability in the face of the rising far-left, anti-austerity coalition Unidos Podemos.
Opinion polls suggest the conservative Popular Party (PP) will come first in Sunday's election though without an absolute majority, tailed by the coalition which, like Greece's Syriza, rejects EU-backed spending cuts.
"It is really important to convey a message of institutional and economic stability," said acting prime minister and PP head Mariano Rajoy in a televised address after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
"It is not the moment to fuel or increase uncertainty."
He did not directly mention Unidos Podemos, which wants to end the EU-backed austerity policies Rajoy put in place after coming to power in 2011 and which he claims pulled Spain from the brink of economic collapse.
But his deputies did.
Acting foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo slammed the coalition as being "eurosceptic," saying it wanted to drop the euro.
"Radicalism and populism never bring stability," added PP Secretary-General Maria Dolores de Cospedal.
"We need a government that will work for Spain's stability and in favour of the European project."
Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias denied wanting to drop the euro, but said Europe had to "change course."
"No one would want to leave Europe if it were fair and united," he wrote on Twitter.
Sunday's elections are the second in six months, after polls in December resulted in a hung parliament and parties were unable to agree on a coalition government.
Voters have the choice between four major political groupings after the last year's emergence of Podemos and centre-right upstart Ciudadanos overturned the traditional two-party dominance.
Opinion polls say Unidos Podemos is on course to come second and overtake the 137-year-old Socialist party (PSOE).
PSOE chief Pedro Sanchez on Friday also criticised liberal EU policies, but denounced "populism... which put forward false solutions to Britons' real problems."
It is as yet unclear how Brexit will influence Sunday's polls.
Sara Morais of polling institute GAD3 said it could benefit both the Podemos coalition and the PP.
"There could be more votes in favour of stability," she said.
"But Brexit also demonstrates the power of the people... The message is that things can change. That can reinforce Podemos."
Brexit burst into Spain’s election campaign Friday, with the outgoing conservatives pledging stability in the face of the rising far-left, anti-austerity coalition Unidos Podemos.
Opinion polls suggest the conservative Popular Party (PP) will come first in Sunday’s election though without an absolute majority, tailed by the coalition which, like Greece’s Syriza, rejects EU-backed spending cuts.
“It is really important to convey a message of institutional and economic stability,” said acting prime minister and PP head Mariano Rajoy in a televised address after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
“It is not the moment to fuel or increase uncertainty.”
He did not directly mention Unidos Podemos, which wants to end the EU-backed austerity policies Rajoy put in place after coming to power in 2011 and which he claims pulled Spain from the brink of economic collapse.
But his deputies did.
Acting foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo slammed the coalition as being “eurosceptic,” saying it wanted to drop the euro.
“Radicalism and populism never bring stability,” added PP Secretary-General Maria Dolores de Cospedal.
“We need a government that will work for Spain’s stability and in favour of the European project.”
Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias denied wanting to drop the euro, but said Europe had to “change course.”
“No one would want to leave Europe if it were fair and united,” he wrote on Twitter.
Sunday’s elections are the second in six months, after polls in December resulted in a hung parliament and parties were unable to agree on a coalition government.
Voters have the choice between four major political groupings after the last year’s emergence of Podemos and centre-right upstart Ciudadanos overturned the traditional two-party dominance.
Opinion polls say Unidos Podemos is on course to come second and overtake the 137-year-old Socialist party (PSOE).
PSOE chief Pedro Sanchez on Friday also criticised liberal EU policies, but denounced “populism… which put forward false solutions to Britons’ real problems.”
It is as yet unclear how Brexit will influence Sunday’s polls.
Sara Morais of polling institute GAD3 said it could benefit both the Podemos coalition and the PP.
“There could be more votes in favour of stability,” she said.
“But Brexit also demonstrates the power of the people… The message is that things can change. That can reinforce Podemos.”
