MADRID — The 87-year-old woman at the center of Spain’s most prominent recent eviction dispute is set to return to her home, her legal representative confirmed Tuesday.
María del Carmen Abascal, widely known as “Maricarmen,” has been hospitalized since being removed from the apartment she occupied for seven decades last Wednesday. Her case triggered demonstrations involving tens of thousands of citizens and prompted the Spanish government to introduce new policies aimed at addressing the national housing crisis.
Beatriz Duro, Abascal’s lawyer, told The Associated Press that the resident agreed to a settlement with the property management company in Madrid’s affluent Retiro district. The terms cap her monthly rent at 30% of her income, ensuring it will not exceed the 500 euros ($570) she previously paid. “She is very happy,” Duro said.
The resolution comes just hours after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s coalition announced a series of emergency housing measures. The announcements followed four days of intense protests and an encampment established in Madrid’s iconic Puerta del Sol plaza.
Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez outlined the new decree at the presidential palace, stating it would extend protection against evictions for vulnerable Spaniards through 2030. The legislation also regulates room rentals, introduces a new tax on seasonal accommodations, and prohibits “speculative real estate purchases by vulture funds” until 2028.
While the full text of the decree has not yet been released, leaving details about fund classifications and tax rates unclear, Rodríguez noted additional provisions including tax incentives for landlords who rent to low-income tenants, interest-free loans for first-time homebuyers, and measures to protect and construct public housing.
Spain’s Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz credited the public outcry for the government’s action. “This has been thanks to the citizen movement. To Maricarmen. To the thousands of people in the streets,” she wrote on social media.
The protests highlight ongoing struggles in Europe’s fourth-largest economy, where rising costs and a housing shortage are displacing many residents despite strong economic growth. Demonstrators have demanded stronger tenant protections, anti-fraud measures, and a ban on evictions when alternative housing is unavailable.
Parliament has 30 days to ratify the measures, with the government calling for an extraordinary plenary session on housing this Friday. The ruling coalition holds 152 of 350 seats, necessitating support from smaller parties to pass legislation—a hurdle that blocked similar measures in late July.
Activists remain watchful. Alicia del Río, spokesperson for the Madrid Tenants’ Union, which organized the protest, stated that the movement would continue its “historic standoff” until the details of the decree could be thoroughly reviewed. The union plans further nationwide protests over the weekend and has yet to decide when to dismantle the Sol Square encampment.
The details on vulture funds are missing. I am skeptical this decree will actually stop speculative buying until 2028 without concrete enforcement mechanisms.
It is interesting that they capped her rent at her previous amount. It feels like a small victory, but the broader housing crisis is still unresolved.
My grandmother is seventy-eight and lives in fear of eviction. Why does it take a viral protest for the government to actually act?
Thirty percent of income sounds reasonable, but I wonder how this plays out for younger renters without union support or media attention?
So happy Maricarmen gets to go home. This story proved that ordinary people really can force change when they stand together.