Spain PM Pedro Sanchez Calls Snap Election After Housing Crisis

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called a snap general election for November 29 after Parliament rejected his government’s housing measures amid nationwide protests over soaring housing costs.

Sanchez Announces November 29 Election

Sanchez announced the early election in a televised address on Monday, saying Spaniards would decide the country’s future after his minority government faced repeated political setbacks.

“We need to renew people’s support,” Sanchez said, calling for a larger progressive majority that would allow his government to pursue social reforms.

The election will be held several months earlier than originally scheduled, turning the housing crisis into a central issue of the campaign.

Housing Crisis Triggers Political Fallout

Sanchez’s decision came days after Parliament rejected two emergency housing decrees proposed by his government. The measures sought to ease pressure on renters and address concerns over evictions and property speculation.

The defeat followed growing public anger over housing affordability. Protests have spread across Spain, including a major demonstration in Madrid on Saturday that the government said drew more than 70,000 people.

Public frustration intensified after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from her Madrid home last month following a steep increase in rent after an investment fund acquired the building.

Housing costs have risen sharply in recent years. Average rents have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have increased by about 90%, according to property website Idealista.

Opposition Leads In Polls

The snap election is a major political gamble for Sanchez, whose Socialist Party is trailing the conservative People's Party (PP) in opinion polls.

The PP could seek support from the far-right Vox party to form a government if the two parties secure enough seats. Such an outcome could bring Vox into Spain’s central government for the first time since the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo has urged voters to back his party, presenting the election as a choice between continuing Sanchez’s rule and bringing political change.

Sanchez Seeks Fresh Mandate

Sanchez acknowledged that his government had made mistakes and failed to deliver on some campaign promises. He is now seeking to turn the housing crisis and public anger against the opposition into support for the left.

The prime minister has led Spain since 2018 and has remained in power through fragile alliances involving left-wing groups and regional parties. He has never secured enough votes to govern with a parliamentary majority on his own.

The November 29 election could therefore determine whether Sanchez secures a stronger mandate or whether Spain shifts towards a government led by the right.