Snap election called in Spain following housing crisis
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap election after his government failed to pass proposals for new measures to address the country's housing crisis.
The election is scheduled for November 29.
"Spain must decide whether it wants to join the far-right wave—which is currently in decline—or continue to be a bastion of social justice," Sánchez said in a televised speech on Monday morning.
Sánchez acknowledged that the government had "made mistakes" and justified his decision by stating that, in order to do more, they must "renew and broaden public support," *El País* reports.
Anger following eviction
The housing package, comprising two separate bills, was put to a vote on Friday following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her apartment in Madrid—an event that brought public anger over the housing crisis to a boiling point.
The proposals aimed to halt evictions of vulnerable individuals through 2030, curb real estate speculation, further restrict short-term rentals, and mandate the automatic renewal of rental contracts.
They were defeated in parliament after the Catalan separatist party Junts—whose votes the government needs to secure a majority—joined forces with the three opposition parties on the right, including the far-right Vox. Missing the heart of the problem
Critics argue that the government's proposal fails to address the root of the problem and could instead exacerbate the housing crisis.
The combination of low wages and high housing prices and rents has made it increasingly difficult for many Spaniards to find a home. Anger has often been directed at lucrative short-term rentals, which have driven up prices in tourist areas and cities. At the same time, there is a large number of vacant homes in rural areas where jobs are scarce, as well as empty "ghost complexes" in many tourist resorts.
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