Spaniards see EU rescue as inevitable

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The vast majority of Spaniards believe it is inevitable the country will be rescued by the European Union as their confidence in the government continues to slide, according to a poll published on Sunday.

Seventy-two percent of those questioned by polling agency Metroscopia thought Spain would be rescued by the EU, up from 62 percent who believed the same a month ago.

Spain fell back into recession at the end of last year and is contemplating a European rescue package to bring its financing costs down and help it meet its budget deficit target.

Having already agreed to European aid for its banks, Madrid says it is in no hurry to seek further help, but it will discuss conditions attached to the European Central Bank's new bond-buying program with eurozone finance ministers this week.

Despite the economic problems, the poll showed strong support for the euro, with 70 percent saying Spain should keep the single European currency and only 21 percent saying it should return to the peseta.

The poll showed a fall in support for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy with 73 percent saying they did not think he was doing a good job.

It showed that 84 percent of people had little confidence in Rajoy, with even 59 percent of voters of his People' Party saying the same.

However, the poll showed a slight improvement to 30.9 percent of voters who said they would vote for the PP in an election, up from 30 percent the previous month. That is down though from 44.6 percent when it won the general election last November.

Questions:

1. How many people who were questioned by polling agency Metroscopia thought Spain would be rescued by the EU?

2. Did the poll show a fall or a rise in support for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy?

3. How many per cent of those polled thought that Spain should keep the single European currency?

Answers

1. 72 percent.

2. A fall.

3. 70 percent.

About the broadcaster:

Rosie Tuck is a copy editor at the China Daily website. She was born in New Zealand and graduated from Auckland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Communications studies majoring in journalism and television. In New Zealand she was working as a junior reporter for the New Zealand state broadcaster TVNZ. She is in Beijing on a 2017 Pacific Media Centre international internship with the AUT/China Daily Exchange Programme, in partnership with the Asia New Zealand Foundation. She is working as a journalist in the English news department at the China Daily website.