Spanish PM calls early election after parliament rejects housing measures

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Monday that he will call for early elections on November 29 following the rejection of housing relief measures by his minority government in the Spanish parliament on Friday. The defeat in the legislature marked another setback for Sanchez, who has been in power since 2018 and is one of the few left-leaning prime ministers in Europe.

The defeated housing proposals included automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday, demanding affordable housing. The government's measures were voted down by Spain's opposition parties, sparking outrage over the country's increasingly expensive housing market.

Spain has been operating under its 2023 budget for several years, and the current crisis stems from the eviction last month of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her decades-old home in Madrid. Recent polls indicate that the conservative Popular Party (PP) is currently ahead of the Socialists in popularity. Rising housing costs have been a major concern for Spaniards for years, with rents almost doubling and home prices increasing by nearly 90% over the past decade.