Snap Election Looms Following Demonstrations & Congress Defeat

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has called for “reflection” amid calls for an early election following the government´s defeat in the Spanish Congress.

The minority Socialist Party Coalititon government was dealt a a major blow in the Spanish Congress on Friday when they saw their proposed emergency housing measures defeated by 178 votes to 172, and 184 to 166.

Approved by the cabinet earlier earlier in the week, the two decree-laws would have provided for the automatic extension of rental contracts when they expire and stronger restrictions on evictions affecting vulnerable tenants.

The measures put forward followed a public outcry over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home last month after she was unable to afford a sharp rent increase.

Her eviction triggered nationwide protests across Spain with protesters demanding lower rents, an end to evictions, as well as a ban on investment funds – or “vulture funds” as the left-wing government calls them from purchasing tenanted properties.

On Saturday hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid and other major cities such as Barcelona and Valencia to protest the high prices of properties to buy and rent.

According to property website Idealista, average rents in Spain have almost doubled over the past decade.

Speaking during the debate, Sanchez warned: ‘History will judge them sooner than they think and more forcefully than they imagine.’

After the vote, Conservative PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo urged him to “call elections as soon as possible”, saying that after eight years in power Sánchez had the backing of “neither the streets nor parliament”.

Spanish media reported that Sánchez was considering a snap election, with some media outlets predicting 29th November as the most likely date, and would assess the scale of Saturday’s protests before deciding.

The next general election must be held by August 2027.