Spain PM Sanchez Calls Early Election after Parliament Rejects Housing Crisis Measures
Following a fresh parliamentary setback over measures to ease Spain’s worsening housing crisis, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called a snap general election for November 29.
Sanchez, who has governed since 2018, is seeking a stronger mandate to advance his agenda, with the next election originally due by August 2027.
The announcement came after tens of thousands of protesters marched through Madrid and other Spanish cities, demanding affordable housing and greater protection for tenants. Their demonstrations followed parliament’s rejection of government proposals, including automatic renewal of rental contracts and restrictions on evictions involving vulnerable tenants.
The defeat highlighted the growing difficulty Sanchez faces in governing with a minority coalition that relies on smaller parties to pass legislation. The Catalan separatist party Junts, whose support has been crucial to the government, voted against the housing measures, arguing they were rushed and could worsen the crisis.
Anger over Spain’s housing costs intensified after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from her Madrid home last month. She had lived there for more than 70 years before an investment company that acquired the property sought to increase her rent by 275 percent, according to housing campaigners.
Her case became a symbol of the wider housing crisis, prompting hundreds of demonstrators to maintain a protest camp in central Madrid. The pressure eventually led the new owners to reach an agreement allowing Abascal to return to the property at a lower rent.
Soaring housing costs
Housing has remained a major concern in Spain as demand continues to outpace supply. Average rents have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by about 90 percent, according to Idealista.
The rising costs have placed increasing pressure on households, with many struggling as rent consumes a larger share of their incomes. Despite Spain’s strong economic performance compared with several major European economies, many citizens say they have yet to feel the full benefit of that growth.
The government has also been operating under its 2023 budget, the last national spending plan approved by Sanchez’s administration, underscoring the political challenges confronting the prime minister.
Sanchez is additionally facing pressure over corruption allegations involving people close to him, including his wife and senior figures within the Socialist Party.
His administration has also come under criticism over migration, particularly following the arrival of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. Many migrants continue to live in makeshift camps near the country’s border with Africa.
Election battle
The opposition conservative Popular Party has maintained a lead over the Socialists in recent opinion polls and has repeatedly called for an early election.
Its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, welcomed Sanchez’s decision, arguing that voters should now have the opportunity to determine the country’s direction after eight years of Socialist rule.
However, current polling indicates that the Popular Party may fall short of an outright parliamentary majority, potentially leaving Feijóo dependent on support from the far-right Vox party to form a government.
For Sanchez, the November 29 election will be a crucial test of his leadership, his handling of the housing crisis and his ability to retain power after eight years in office.
