Spain Calls Early Parliamentary Elections
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called early parliamentary elections to be held on November 29. Previously, the next general election was planned only for 2027.
Sánchez made the decision after the Congress of Deputies rejected two government decrees aimed at tackling the housing crisis on October 2. After the vote, the prime minister took a few days for consultations with ministers and the leadership of his Socialist Party.
One of the legislative packages was rejected by parliament by 178 votes to 172, the second — 184 to 166. Decisive were the votes of the conservative People's Party, Vox, and Catalan Junts, whose support largely determined the government's parliamentary majority.
Among the measures proposed by the government were extending protection of vulnerable households from eviction until 2030, additional regulation of short-term rentals and renting of individual rooms, as well as tightening rules in the housing market.
The failure of the package occurred against the backdrop of mass protests over the cost and availability of housing. One of the triggers for a new wave of demonstrations was the eviction in Madrid of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from an apartment where she had lived for almost 70 years.
The housing issue became another test for the Sánchez government, which lacks its own stable majority in parliament and is forced to negotiate with regional parties on key bills. Particularly difficult were relations with Junts, which previously helped Sánchez form a government but later began voting against some of his initiatives.
Sánchez has led the Spanish government since 2018. After the 2023 elections, he formed a coalition of the Socialist Party and the left-wing Sumar platform, and until recently he declared his intention to serve the full parliamentary term until 2027.
Now Spanish voters must elect a new parliament early on November 29.
