Sanchez announced the snap election following Friday's parliamentary defeat of key housing measures proposed by his minority government.
The decrees were introduced amid mounting public pressure over housing affordability and a growing protest movement that intensified after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who was later allowed to return to the home she had rented for seven decades.
Housing measures rejected
The government lacked the parliamentary majority needed to secure approval of the proposals.
The decrees received support from lawmakers of the governing coalition partners, PSOE and Sumar, but were rejected by the opposition People's Party (PP), the far-right Vox, and Junts per Catalunya, a centre-right Catalan pro-independence party.
The first decree was defeated by 178 votes to 172.
It included measures to:
- limit rent increases
- ban evictions until 2030
- regulate seasonal rentals
- prohibit purchases by speculative investment funds
- provide incentives for landlords to lower rents
A second decree, which focused solely on the automatic renewal of tenancy agreements, was rejected by 184 votes to 166.
Public anger
Following the votes, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament, chanting slogans including “Shame” and “Their profits, our misery.”
Spain's Tenants' Union subsequently called on trade unions to support a general strike, arguing that stronger action is needed to address the housing crisis.
The election campaign is now expected to focus heavily on housing, cost-of-living pressures and the future stability of Spain's fragmented political landscape.
Source: ANA-MPA
