The political situation in Spain

Snap election called in Spain following housing protests

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a snap election for November 29. He made the announcement in a televised address.

The decision follows his government's failure to pass proposals intended to resolve the country's housing crisis. The housing package was introduced after an 87-year-old woman was evicted—a case that has garnered significant attention, including internationally.

Sánchez states that a renewed mandate from the public is needed to implement the reforms he deems necessary. He also admits to having made mistakes and failing to fulfill his election promises.

The next scheduled parliamentary election in Spain was not due to take place until August 2027 at the latest.
 

Opposition calls for change: "Give it a chance"

Spanish opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo welcomes the announcement of a snap election, Reuters reports. Núñez Feijóo belongs to the conservative, Christian-democratic *Partido Popular* (People's Party), which has been highly critical of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's migration policy.

"The question I put to the voters is whether they want four more years of what we have been living through, or if they want to give change a chance," he said in a televised address.

Although the Spanish People's Party is confident of victory, recent opinion polls have not favored the party, according to *El País*. Feijóo’s only chance of winning the election lies in support from the far-right Vox party—the only right-wing party to have seen its support grow in recent polls. Consequently, Núñez Feijóo appears concerned about the prospect of governing the country with Vox exerting significant influence.

Analysis: A risky move for Pedro Sánchez

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decision to call a snap election is a gamble; given the current state of public opinion, a change of government appears likely, according to an analysis by the BBC’s Guy Hedgecoe.

Sánchez’s Socialist Party is trailing the conservative People’s Party (PP) in the polls; many believe the PP might attempt to form a government in coalition with the far-right Vox party.

"Sánchez seems to believe he can capitalize on anger over the housing crisis to mobilize and rally left-wing voters," says Hedgecoe.

It might just work—the government’s proposed housing reforms, which the opposition voted down last Friday, were popular with the public, writes Michael Drummond for Sky News.

"Yet it remains a risky move at a time when right-wing parties appear to be gaining ground across Europe, and Spain’s left-leaning government is one of the few remaining."

Calling a snap election allows Sánchez to seize the initiative; given the parliamentary landscape, it is the right decision, writes Enric Juliana in *La Vanguardia*.

With the reforms having been rejected, there is no point in proceeding with a state budget for 2027, he notes. ”Sánchez did the only thing he could do. He acknowledges the situation, prevents the state of affairs from worsening, and capitalizes on the shift in public opinion brought about by the housing debate.”