Spain erupts in protests after parliament rejects housing crisis decrees

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets across Spain in a wave of unrest triggered by the conservative-dominated parliament’s rejection of emergency housing decrees. The vote against the measures proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority coalition has intensified political pressure and fueled speculation that the country could face early elections.

On Friday, the lower house of parliament voted down two decrees aimed at addressing the affordability crisis. The first would have protected vulnerable tenants from eviction, curbed real estate speculation, restricted short-term rentals, and offered tax incentives for renting and construction. The second decree sought to make leases automatically renew indefinitely, requiring owners to pay a year’s rent to terminate a contract.

Sanchez had appealed to lawmakers to prioritize the needs of ordinary citizens over political maneuvering. “Think about ordinary people, about those who most need the protection of public institutions,” he said before the vote, highlighting the millions of young people unable to leave their parents’ homes and families burdened by rising rents. Despite his plea, the proposals were blocked by a majority of the 350-seat congress.

The opposition came from the right-wing Popular Party, the far-right Vox, and the Catalan separatist party Junts. Miriam Nogueras of Junts argued the decrees would push landlords out of the rental market, driving prices higher. “If they really wanted to protect people… they would have already done it,” she said on social media, criticizing the government’s eight-year record.

Health Minister Monica Garcia accused right-wing parties of supporting a “feudal economy” that benefits a minority at the expense of workers. She warned that while the right held a parliamentary majority on the issue, they lacked public support and would “pay for it sooner rather than later.”

Experts note structural flaws in the proposals. Marta Soler Gallart, a sociology professor at the University of Barcelona, pointed out that unlike the Vienna model, Spain lacks a robust tradition of public social housing. Furthermore, she noted the new rules disproportionately affected small landlords by extending lease terms without compulsion if the owner needed the property for personal use.

The unrest follows the late September eviction of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal from her Madrid home of 70 years. An international investment fund had purchased her building and raised her rent by more than 200 percent to approximately $1,880 monthly, aiming to displace her for tourist apartments. Although Abascal has since returned home, her case became a rallying point for the housing crisis.

Protests, largely peaceful, turned volatile in Valencia, where police used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse demonstrators who briefly entered the City of Arts and Sciences. In Madrid, police arrested three far-right activists who attempted to confront protesters in Puerta del Sol.

Valeria Racu of the Tenants’ Union described the turnout as evidence of a “new energy,” stating that eight days of protest achieved more than eight years of progressive governance. “Now begins real politics,” she added.

The housing market remains a critical electoral issue in Spain, where average rents have nearly doubled over the past decade. According to data from Idealista, the average price per square meter rose from €8.20 in 2016 to €15.10 this year. Journalist Jorge Dioni Lopez wrote in Vanity Fair that housing is eroding Sanchez’s support among young and middle-class voters, exacerbated by Spain’s cultural preference for homeownership and the privatization of much public housing.

Following the parliamentary defeat, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the People’s Party, urged Sanchez to call elections immediately, claiming the prime minister lacked support both in parliament and on the streets. While no official date has been set, reports from El Diario suggest snap elections could occur as early as November 29, well ahead of the scheduled July 2027 general election.