Tens of thousands of people rallied across Spain on Saturday after the conservative-dominated parliament rejected housing decrees proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority left-wing coalition government, with local media reporting that snap elections could be called as early as November.
The Bottom Line
- Spain’s lower house voted down two government decrees aimed at curbing housing costs and protecting renters.
- Protests erupted nationwide following the late September eviction of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal in Madrid.
- Political friction between the ruling coalition and right-wing parties leaves Spain’s current legislative term facing uncertainty ahead of its scheduled end next summer.
Parliamentary Rejection of Emergency Decrees
Spain’s parliament on Friday voted down two emergency decrees proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority left-wing coalition government designed to address the country’s severe housing affordability crisis, Al Jazeera reported. The initial decree sought to shield vulnerable individuals from evictions, place greater obstacles in the path of real estate speculation, tighten rules surrounding short-term rentals, and offer tax breaks for building and leasing. The second decree proposed making leases automatically renew when expiring, effectively making them indefinite unless property owners paid tenants 12 months of rent to break the contract.
Before the vote, Sanchez appealed to lawmakers to look past political calculations. Think about ordinary people, about those who most need the protection of public institutions. Think about the millions of young people who cannot afford to move out of their parents’ homes. Think about the families living with the constant anxiety of ever-rising rents,
he stated before the voting. However, the majority of the 350-seat lower house rejected the measures. Junts, the Popular Party, and Vox all voted against the decrees.
Political Alignment and Industry Arguments
Miriam Nogueras of Junts argued that the proposed decrees would only cause property owners to withdraw their properties from the rental market, driving prices even higher. Nogueras criticized the government on X, stating that if they truly wanted to protect people and curb vulture funds, they would have acted during the eight years they have been in power. Health Minister Monica Garcia countered on X, accusing right-wing parties of voting for a feudal economy in which a minority extracts the salary from a majority that works for their luxuries.
Prior to the parliamentary vote, Marta Soler Gallart, head of the Department of Sociology at the University of Barcelona, explained to Al Jazeera on September 30 that neither decree addressed the housing problem over the medium or long term. Soler Gallart pointed out that successful models like Vienna’s rely on a long history of public social housing, whereas Spanish public funds often end up invested in social housing that recipients eventually sell at market price. In addition, she pointed out that the updated rules penalised smaller property owners by prolonging rental periods and agreements, though these extensions can be avoided if the owner demonstrates a personal need to occupy the dwelling.
| Entity / Party | Stance on Housing Decrees | Core Argument |
|---|---|---|
| Socialist Party & Sumar Coalition | Support | Emergency measures protect vulnerable renters and curb real estate speculation. |
| Junts | Oppose | Decrees will shrink the rental market and push prices higher. |
| Popular Party & Vox | Oppose | Not specified in source. |
Evictions and Mass Tourism Pressures
Protests spread across Spain after the late September eviction of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal from her home of 70 years in Madrid. An international investment fund bought her building and hiked her rent by more than 200 percent to roughly $1,880 a month, pushing out the long-term tenant to make way for lucrative tourist apartments. In recent years, Spain has experienced widespread protests against mass tourism, which has been linked to the housing crisis and soaring cost of living. Al Jazeera reported that Spain is the second most visited country in the world, attracting 97 million tourists last year.
Local media reports have indicated that Prime Minister Sanchez could call snap elections for as early as November following the strength of Saturday’s protests across the country. Spain’s current legislative term is officially scheduled to end next summer.
