Spain Faces Confrontation: PM Sánchez Calls Snap Election After Housing Outcry

Mon Oct 05 2026 13:26:17 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announces early elections as nationwide protests over an 87‑year‑old woman’s eviction trigger a political crisis.

Spain’s centre‑left government led by Pedro Sánchez is calling a snap election for 29 November after two housing reforms were vetoed in parliament. The decision follows the dramatic eviction of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal, whose rent was hiked from €500 to more than €2,600, sparking mass street protests in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia. Sánchez said a broader progressive majority is needed to push reforms, but his coalition lacks a majority in the 350‑seat Congress. The announcement comes amid a series of corruption probes involving the PM’s family and aides, and strains over Spain’s migration policy. The early vote could redefine the country’s political balance ahead of the next normal election in 2027.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez speaking in parliament. — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressing lawmakers on 3 September.

On Monday, Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s longest‑serving incumbent, set a date for a national election on 29 November.

The move follows a series of defeats in parliament that stalled two decree laws intended to curb evictions and protect tenants.

The spark was the forced removal of Maricarmen Abascal, 87, from a Madrid apartment after a landlord raised her rent from €500 to more than €2,600.

Her case ignited protests across Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, with thousands calling for stronger housing safeguards.

In his televised address, Sánchez urged a “broader progressive majority” that could overcome the “elites” who block reforms.

Yet his coalition, made of the Socialist Party and the Sumar alliance, records no majority in the 350‑seat Congress.

With Spain’s next scheduled general election only a year away, the snap vote could shape the country’s political trajectory.

Meanwhile, Sánchez’s record includes corruption investigations into his wife and former ministers, as well as criticism over his handling of the Ceuta migration surge.