The situation
Spain is heading to the polls early. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday that a snap general election will be held on Sunday, November 29. The decision follows a rough week for his minority government after rightwing parties—the People’s Party (PP), the far-right Vox, and the rightwing Catalan pro-independence party Junts—teamed up to shoot down emergency housing legislation last Friday.
How we got here
Spanish citizens are currently struggling with a massive housing crisis, marked by skyrocketing rent costs and precarious tenancy agreements. The tension recently peaked when an 87-year-old woman, Maricarmen Abascal, was evicted from her Madrid home of 70 years after facing a 230% rent increase.
This incident sparked huge protests, including a "tent camp" in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and massive weekend demonstrations. While authorities claimed 70,000 people protested in Madrid this Saturday, organizers put that number closer to 500,000.
Who wants what
Sánchez’s government attempted to pass two decrees that would have banned evictions until 2030 and regulated room and temporary lettings. The opposition, led by the PP, argued that the solution lies in new construction rather than regulation.
Sánchez, who has been in power since 2018, is lowkey banking on this housing fight to mobilize leftwing voters. He is framing the upcoming vote as a choice between his progressive platform and a rightwing agenda that he claims would "curtail freedoms." While the polls are currently favoring the PP and a rising Vox, the Prime Minister is hoping to turn the tide.
Why it matters
The housing protests have been massive, and they’ve also helped the government shift the conversation away from the ongoing crisis in Ceuta, where 70,000 people recently crossed into the North African enclave from Morocco. Whether this pivot to a national election will save the Socialist Workers' Party remains to be seen—but for now, the plot thickens for Spanish politics.
