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The Spanish Prime Minister was forced to take this decision by mass protests over the country’s housing crisis. These protests erupted following the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her rented flat, which she could no longer afford due to a rent increase, reports the BBC.
In a televised address to the nation, Sánchez stated that in recent years “Spain has become an example of peace, feminism and prosperity to the whole world”, and that his government had ensured economic growth — despite attempts to “boycott” his achievements. He acknowledged that the government “had made mistakes and had not been able to do everything it had set out to do”, and that it was necessary to “broaden public support in order to carry out the necessary reforms that will enable citizens to reduce the current levels of inequality”.
“The time has come for the Spanish people to decide what kind of future they want for themselves and their country,” the BBC quoted Pedro Sánchez as saying.
‘Vulture funds’ have exacerbated the housing crisis
The publication notes that a few days earlier, Sánchez’s government had failed to secure parliamentary support for the adoption of two royal decrees on housing, designed to alleviate growing public discontent over the housing crisis in Spain.
The decrees, in particular, provided for a ban on evictions until 2030. The government explained its decision as a desire to protect tenants and to restrict the activities of investment funds buying up properties – government ministers refer to them as ‘vulture funds’.
However, the Sánchez government does not have a majority in parliament, and on Friday parliament failed to approve the emergency decrees. Opposition members from right-wing parties claimed that this was an attack on the rights of property owners, particularly ordinary citizens who let out their flats.
According to estimates by the Bank of Spain, there is a shortfall of around 700,000 flats and houses in the country. Last year, house prices rose by 12.2 per cent. In Barcelona and Madrid, rent costs an average of around 23–24 euros per square metre.
According to the BBC, demonstrations involving thousands of people took place in dozens of Spanish cities on Saturday, calling for the protection of tenants. In Valencia, clashes broke out between demonstrators and the police. One of the largest demonstrations took place in the Spanish capital. Its organiser, the Tenants’ Union, claimed that 500,000 people took to the streets of Madrid. The government estimated the figure to be around 70,000.
The Madrid Tenants’ Union has called for a general strike.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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