Podemos’s Pablo Iglesias voted debate winner by EL PAÍS readers

Pablo Iglesias, leader of emerging leftist party Podemos, was the winner of the online debate held on Monday night by EL PAÍS, according to votes registered on the newspaper’s website.

Viewers of the debate were invited to cast their ballot for the candidate they thought performed best in an online poll open between 9pm and midnight.

The results coincide with the candidates’ popularity on Twitter, where Iglesias has 1.3 million followers, Rivera has 406,000 and Sánchez 210,000

The results show Iglesias winning 47.01 percent of the vote, followed by Albert Rivera of Ciudadanos with 28.9 percent and Pedro Sánchez of the Socialist Party with 24.09 percent.

While the poll may not be rigorously scientific, it does provide a good sense of the impression made by the three candidates on viewers. The website blocked the IP addresses of voters once their ballots had been cast to prevent people from voting more than once.

Iglesias emerged as the clear victor just half an hour into the debate, when 48.4 percent of viewers felt that he already had the upper hand. He was followed at a great distance by Rivera with 29.8 percent and Sánchez with 21.7 percent. The Socialist candidate ultimately gained some ground and managed to inch forward 4.8 percentage points.

The online poll results coincide with the candidates’ popularity on Twitter, where Iglesias has 1.3 million followers, Rivera has 406,000 and Sánchez 210,000.

English version by Susana Urra.