The latest poll on party support shows the current government with the same approval ratings as the government that was forced out of office in 2009, and the conservatives holding a stronger position than ever.
The poll, conducted by Fréttablaðið, shows the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Leftist-Greens with a combined support of 24% of the electorate. This is the same approval rating the Independence Party and Social Democrats had when they comprised the ruling coalition in early 2009, shortly before being driven out of office in the wake of vast popular protests.
The Social Democrats came in at over 14%, and would have ten of parliament’s 63 seats if elections were held today, while the Leftist-Greens had 8.6%, or six seats. This is a drop of about 50% for both parties, who have 20 and 12 seats in parliament now, respectively.
At the same time, the conservatives now rank at 43%, which equals 29 seats in parliament. They currently have 16.
While the Progressives came in at about the same level as the Social Democrats, at 14.6%, this is still not much different from what they received in the previous elections.
Newer parties do not seem to be fairing as well as previously, either. Solidarity, which at one point weighed in with 21%, is now at 6%, as is Bright Future. Both parties would get four seats in parliament if elections were held now.
As it stands, a ruling coalition that did not include the Independence Party in some way appears out of the question. However, the response margin for this poll was only 54% – there are still many undecided or unwilling to disclose who they would vote for. Either way, the trend looks bleak for the sitting government, unless they are able to somehow turn the tide.
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