Fresh protests to hit Spain after housing measures defeated

Fresh protests over housing are set to take place in Madrid and other Spanish cities. The demonstrations follow a parliamentary vote that rejected two government measures aimed at strengthening protection for tenants. The measures were introduced after nationwide protests sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from a Madrid apartment she had occupied for around seven decades.

The defeat of the measures is seen as a political setback for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. According to the Malay Mail, the opposition conservative Popular Party's leader, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, has urged Sánchez to call elections, citing that he has the backing of neither the streets nor parliament.

The Tenants' Union, which has been coordinating the protests, has called for demonstrations in more than 50 cities, saying there is a disconnect between what the people want and what the parties vote for.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local Spain, Malay Mail — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.