By Minener Editorial Team | May 2025
A recent survey conducted by the Center for Sociological Research (CIS) reveals widespread concern and uncertainty among Spanish citizens regarding the causes and handling of the massive blackout that affected much of the country. The flash poll, based on 1,752 interviews across 668 municipalities and 47 provinces, sheds light on how the population perceives the event and what measures they expect moving forward.
Accident or Attack? Public Split on the Cause
According to the survey, 46.2% of Spaniards believe the blackout was due to an accident or failure in the electrical system. However, 26.6% suspect a deliberate act, such as a cyberattack or sabotage. Meanwhile, 15.9% admitted they do not know what caused the outage, and 10.7% pointed to other unspecified reasons.
Widespread Criticism of Government Communication
The Spanish government’s communication during the crisis was met with considerable criticism. A majority—59.6%—felt the information released was insufficient, while only 28.4% believed it was adequate. Another 8.2% were unable to assess it.
Among the dissatisfied, 38.4% said they wanted more clarity on the causes of the blackout, 26.3% wanted clearer timelines on power restoration, and 24.1% criticized the delay in government response. An additional 9.8% cited other concerns, such as the lack of real-time updates and transparency.
Public Demands Urgent Infrastructure Upgrades
In terms of preventing future outages, respondents strongly supported infrastructure upgrades. The most cited solution was to modernize Spain’s power grid (44.2%), followed by increased investment in critical infrastructure—including electricity, mobility, and digital networks (41.7%).
Other proposed measures included:
- Installing more backup generators in public institutions and services (32.6%)
- Ensuring uninterrupted mobile phone service during outages (29.8%)
- Maintaining operational traffic lights in blackout conditions (10.1%)
- Developing alternative public transportation systems for emergency use (9.2%)
The blackout and its aftermath have raised alarms about the vulnerability of Spain’s energy infrastructure and the need for rapid modernization. As the government investigates the root cause—whether technical failure or external attack—citizens are demanding transparency, reliability, and forward-looking reforms.