Spanish PM Sánchez launches campaign with housing as key theme
Pedro Sánchez kicked off his 29 November campaign in the so-called "lucky city" of Dos Hermanas in Seville before some 5,000 people.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez officially launched his election campaign for the upcoming November 29th vote in Dos Hermanas, Seville. The location was deliberate, as it is the largest city in Andalusia where the Socialists continue to hold power after recent regional elections. Sánchez's campaign began in this same town in 2017 when he sought the Spanish Socialist Workers Party's (PSOE) general secretariat.
Other election campaigns in 2019 and 2023 were also kicked off in what Alejandro Moyano, deputy secretary for Organisation of the PSOE in Andalusia, calls the party's "lucky city."
Despite losing the last series of elections – including the 2022 Andalusian poll, 2023 local and general elections, 2024 European vote, and recent Andalusian elections – the Socialists are determined to win back voters. Prime Minister Sánchez honored Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who has become a symbol of Spain's housing protests.
She embodies the plight of those who have suffered at the hands of his political opponents, who he describes as a group that has spread "messages of fear" for eight years. Sánchez likened these opponents to the wolf from the fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, warning that they are the danger.
In contrast, the People's Party (PP) president Alberto Núñez Feijóo launched his pre-election campaign in Madrid on the same day. He pledged to fight for the millions of Spaniards seeking change and vowed to work tirelessly, whether in opposition or in government. Núñez Feijóo criticized Sánchez, arguing that he does not come from the "saunas or the sewers" but rather has a background in management, including budget balancing, public service maintenance, and leadership during good and bad times.
Following Sánchez's announcement of the early general election for November 29th, over 2.7 million Spanish passport holders living abroad were included in the voter rolls, a 19% increase (444,335 more voters) compared to the 2023 election. This growth is largely due to the so-called "Grandchildren's Law," which has added 1.26 million people to the overall electoral register since 2023, and 1.6 million young people have reached voting age for the first time.
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