Spain snap election puts ties with Israel on the line, Prime Minister Sanchez at risk - interview
Vox MEP Juan Carlos Girauta calls for a “180-degree” foreign policy shift as the November 29 vote opens a campaign shaped by housing, corruption cases, Catalonia, migration, and Israel.
Spain will hold a snap general election on November 29 after a parliamentary defeat over housing weakened Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's governing coalition. The election follows a defeat of two government housing decrees in Congress, which occurred three days after the ruling was expected to be in 2027.
Polls currently favor the center-right Popular Party (PP) and the far-right Vox, giving them a combined majority in the 350-member Congress of Deputies. Vox is a relatively new political party founded by Juan Carlos Girauta, who left his previous party Ciudadanos in 2020 and joined Vox in 2024.
Sánchez called the election after his government's attempt to take control of the housing crisis resulted in a loss of popularity. The government's housing measures included plans for interest-free loans to first-time homebuyers, but Congress rejected both decrees. Girauta described the government's approach as "Operation Maricarmen," an effort to create legal uncertainty and hinder housing supply.
The opposition parties have also targeted Sánchez personally, pointing to criminal cases involving former Socialist officials and members of his family. Girauta rejects the claim that political opponents are using the courts against Sánchez, stating that the court cases have become inseparable from the government's loss of authority.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
