Spain is heading to the polls at the end of November after a row over housing led to parliamentary deadlock. One elderly pensioner evicted from the home she had lived in for 70 years after the new landlord raised the rent by 430 per cent has become the face of the rising angry protests.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was left with no option but to call the snap election, after two decrees aimed at ending evictions and curbing tourist housing were defeated last week in the Congress of Deputies. Huge demonstrations following MPs’ rejection of decrees saw protesters camp in more than 1,200 tents in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and unions call for a general strike.
Eviction of 87-Year-Old Pensioner Sparks Outrage
Anger over the shortage of housing and rental laws bubbled over after 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal faced eviction after her monthly bill leapt up from €440 to €2,650 per month since 2018. Her eviction on a stretcher on September 23 provoked widespread protests as campaigners pushed for stronger rights for tenants.
Ms Abascal was taken to a hospital and has since been told by a court she will be able to return to her flat.
Government's Housing Measures Defeated
Two decrees brought forward by the government promised a package of measures including a moratorium on evictions until 2030, a VAT hike for tourist apartments and tax breaks for landlords to encourage a drop in rents. However the plans were thrown into turmoil after right-wing Catalan separatist party Junts voted against the decrees, ending Sanchez’s fragile majority.
Addressing the nation this morning, Sanchez asked voters for a ‘larger progressive majority’ in an early election scheduled for November 29. The move is seen as a gamble with Sanchez’s Socialist Party currently trailing in nearly all polls; however the leader is hoping to capitalise on the wave of anger generated by his opponent’s refusal to back his plans to alleviate the housing crisis.
Political Pressures and Opposition Response
Sanchez, who has led Spain through a series of coalitions since 2018, has also come under pressure from corruption scandals involving both him and his wife, as well as allegations of sexual misconduct within his party. His government has also faced criticism for his handling of the migrant crisis in Ceuta, the Spanish outpost on the coast of Morocco.
A loss for Sanchez would spell the end of one of Europe’s few left-leaning governments at a time when far-right insurgents make gains across the continent, notably in France and Germany.
Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, the leader of the opposition People’s Party, responded to the election announcement by pledging to double homebuilding in Spain to 200,000 units a year and cut taxes. While his party is likely to retain its position as the largest in parliament, Feijoo is likely to require support from the far-right anti-immigration Vox, to govern.
