Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez set a snap election for 29 November after parliament rejected two housing decree laws. He said he needs a broader progressive majority to pass reforms.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a general election for 29 November after his minority government lost two parliamentary votes on housing measures. He announced the date in a televised address on Monday.
Parliament on Friday rejected two decree laws aimed at protecting tenants. The BBC reported that the package included a suspension of evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, a two-year extension of some rental leases due to expire before 2028, higher taxes on tourist apartments and limits on purchases by funds the government calls vulture funds.
The political pressure rose after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman who could not afford a sharp rent rise, which set off protests in several cities. Sánchez said he needs a broader progressive majority that can overcome what he called the resistance of the elites.
Housing is not the only strain on the government. The BBC noted corruption cases involving his party and pressure on the cost of living and immigration. Those issues were not the formal trigger for the election call. The trigger he cited was the defeat of the housing decrees.
Spain is outside this brief's primary country list, so the election is filed as a world politics item. Campaign dates beyond polling day were not set out in the initial BBC report.
People Sentiments Mixed
- Sánchez said he needs a broader progressive majority
- Housing protests followed the eviction of an 87-year-old tenant