Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called an early general election for 29 November after his minority government suffered parliamentary defeats over measures aimed at tackling the country’s growing housing crisis.
Sánchez announced the decision in a televised address on Monday, ending days of speculation about an early vote after parliament rejected two decree laws designed to strengthen protections for tenants.
Spain had not been due to hold another general election until the summer of 2027.
Sánchez said his government needed a broader progressive majority in parliament to push through its reforms and overcome opposition to its agenda.
“We have made mistakes and have not achieved everything we had set out to do,” Sánchez acknowledged, pointing to continuing problems involving inequality, public services and access to affordable housing.
Housing Crisis Puts Government Under Pressure
The election announcement follows nationwide protests over soaring housing costs and tenant protections.
Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and other cities on Saturday demanding stronger government action.
Public anger intensified following the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than 70 years.
A legal issue allowed her landlord to increase her monthly rent from €500 to €2,650. Although it was subsequently reduced to €1,650, the amount remained €300 higher than her monthly pension.
Abascal was removed from the property on a stretcher on 23 September and later admitted to hospital. Her lawyer has since said she will be allowed to return to the property.
Her case became a symbol of Spain’s wider housing crisis.
The government subsequently introduced two decree laws intended to strengthen tenant protections.
Proposals included suspending evictions involving vulnerable tenants until 2030, extending some rental contracts, increasing taxes on tourist accommodation and restricting residential property purchases by investment groups described by the government as “vulture funds”.
A second decree included automatic renewals of rental contracts, a key demand from tenant campaigners.
Opposition parties argued that greater government intervention would discourage landlords from renting properties and further restrict housing supply.
Sánchez’s Fragile Parliamentary Position
Sánchez has led Spain since 2018, but his Socialist Party does not command a parliamentary majority.
His coalition, which includes the left-wing Sumar alliance, has depended on support from smaller parties, including Catalan and Basque nationalist and pro-independence groups.
The conservative People’s Party won the largest number of seats in the 2023 general election but failed to secure enough parliamentary support to form a government, allowing Sánchez to remain prime minister after negotiating agreements with other parties.
People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo welcomed the announcement of an early election, saying Spaniards would finally have an opportunity to decide the country’s political direction.
Corruption Cases Add to Pressure
Housing is not the only issue that has put Sánchez’s government under pressure.
His wife, Begoña Gómez, was charged with corruption in April following a two-year investigation. She denies wrongdoing, while Sánchez has described the allegations as an attempt by political opponents to undermine his government.
Police also raided the Socialist Party’s Madrid headquarters in May as part of an investigation into allegations that an operative was paid to conduct a misinformation campaign. The party denies the allegations.
In June, former transport minister José Luis Ábalos was sentenced to 24 years in prison after being convicted over a network that received kickbacks connected to the sale of face masks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sánchez also faced criticism over his government’s handling of the Ceuta migration crisis during the summer, when tens of thousands of people crossed into the Spanish territory from Morocco without authorisation.
The 29 November election will now determine whether Sánchez can secure the larger parliamentary majority he says is necessary to continue his government’s programme, or whether Spain undergoes a change of government after more than eight years under his leadership.
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