Spain's Prime Minister Calls Snap Election Amid Housing Crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday that general elections will be held on November 29, following weeks of growing protests against his government. The snap election comes just three days after the lower house of parliament rejected a key government package aimed at regulating the housing market, particularly concerning tenant evictions and rent controls.

The housing legislation was prompted by the eviction of an 87-year-old tenant, María del Carmen Abascal, from her Madrid apartment. The investment fund that purchased her building sought to raise her rent from 440 to 1,650 euros per month, significantly exceeding her 1,350 euro pension. Her eviction by police on September 23, after living in the apartment since 1956, sparked nationwide protests and made her a symbol of Spain's housing crisis. The incident led to an agreement allowing her to return to her apartment at a lower rent.

Thousands demonstrated in Madrid, establishing a protest camp in Puerta del Sol square, with similar camps emerging in other cities. Protesters are demanding lower rents, a halt to evictions, and curbs on investment funds. The government's "Mari Carmen Decree," approved last Tuesday, included a ban on evicting vulnerable tenants without alternative housing until the end of 2030, a two-year extension for leases ending by 2028, and automatic lease renewals.

The parliamentary defeat is a blow to Sánchez, who has led Spain since 2018. His minority government, formed with the far-left Sumar party and supported by Catalan and Basque separatist parties, lost its majority when the Catalan Junts party, led by exiled leader Carles Puigdemont, moved to the opposition in October. Junts voted against the housing decrees, arguing they would reduce rental supply and increase prices. Sánchez warned opponents that "history will judge you sooner than you think."

Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for elections, stating the country "can no longer bear it." Sánchez faces additional pressure from corruption investigations involving his wife, brother, and former party officials, as well as criticism over his handling of a migrant influx into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July. Sources close to Sánchez expressed anger, with some government officials calling Junts' vote a "betrayal."

Despite the challenges, Sánchez's circle believes the housing crisis could rally left-wing voters, framing the campaign around a promise to intervene more forcefully in the housing market. They aim to portray his party as defenders of the weak against the "heartless" People's Party (PP). Polls currently favor the PP, with Sánchez's party trailing significantly. Internationally, Sánchez positions himself as a left-wing leader, advocating for Palestinian statehood and criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza, a stance his opponents accuse him of using to unite the left and distract from domestic issues.