Economic policy opened the electoral battle in Spain as major political parties clashed over housing, pensions, and taxation during a televised debate hosted by La Sexta.
Ministers Carlos Cuerpo and Pablo Bustinduy took the offensive against conservative formations, targeting proposed tax cuts from the right alongside housing and pension policies. Meanwhile, opposition spokesmen Juan Bravo of the Partido Popular and José María Figaredo of Vox relied heavily on charts and figures to challenge government spending and infrastructure investments.
Population Increased by 2.5 Million Residents
By October 1, 2026, the population reached approximately 49.9 million people, reflecting an actual increase of roughly 2.5 million residents. Foreign nationals with registered residency shifted from 5.4 million to 7.5 million across the same timeframe.
Annual population census figures cited by Newtral indicate foreign arrivals averaged around 939,885 individuals annually between 2021 and 2025. After subtracting departures averaging more than 460,000 per year, net demographic growth remains near the two million mark.
“It is not necessary at all to bring more people to Spain,” Figaredo said during the debate.
Independent economic monitors, including the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility, maintain that incoming migration serves as a vital pillar for sustaining public finances and the welfare state against rapid demographic aging.
The Pension Reserve Fund Debate
The debate also featured sharp disagreements over the state of public retirement funds. Figaredo claimed that the current government had depleted the pension reserve fund.
Social Security records indicate the reserve fund holds 15.2 billion euros, recovering from a low point of 2.1 billion euros recorded in 2019.
Current legal frameworks mandate that the fiscal responsibility authority review system sustainability every three years using expenditure rules.
If financial deviations occur, the law directs parties to negotiate adjustments through social dialogue and the Toledo Pact to balance contributions and expenditures.
Illegal Occupation Reduced Rental Properties by 400,000
Bravo argued that 400,000 properties vanished from the rental market due to illegal occupation, a metric matching the drop in active listings on the Idealista portal between 2018 and 2025. Real estate associations and property owners have frequently cited regulatory changes, price caps, and legal uncertainty as drivers pushing landlords toward the sales market rather than tenancy agreements.
On taxation, Bravo asserted that the administration raised taxes during its tenure. The Partido Popular based this figure on a report from the Juan de Mariana think tank, which included temporary VAT adjustments on electricity and basic foodstuffs that reverted to standard rates following international supply crises.
Addressing national infrastructure, Figaredo referenced a major power outage, describing it as a 24-hour blackout. The grid failure began on April 28, 2025, at 12:33 hours, with electricity services gradually restored before full operational capacity returned during the early hours of April 29, with over 61% of peninsular demand recovered by midnight.
