Spain snap election: PM Sanchez calls November election amid growing housing protests

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared a snap election, scheduled for November 29, in response to widespread protests over the nation's housing crisis. The announcement was made in a televised address from the Palace of Moncloa, his official residence in Madrid. Sánchez stated, "The time has come for the Spanish people to decide what future they want for themselves and for their country."

This decision follows the government's failure, just over 72 hours prior, to gain parliamentary approval for two housing-related royal decree laws designed to alleviate public discontent over Spain's housing crisis. Sánchez acknowledged his administration's shortcomings, admitting "we have made mistakes and have not managed to do everything we set out to do."

He emphasized that "there are still many injustices to correct," but underscored the necessity of "renewing and broadening public support to implement the required reforms to reduce inequality levels." For several days, thousands of individuals have occupied Madrid's central Puerta del Sol in protest against the housing crisis, with similar demonstrations emerging in cities nationwide over the past week.