Spain’s Sanchez Calls Nov. 29 Early Election After Housing Vote Defeat
MADRID, Oct 5 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called an early national election for Nov. 29 on Monday after his minority government suffered a parliamentary defeat over emergency measures aimed at tackling the country’s housing crisis.
The decision follows weeks of mounting public pressure over housing affordability, with demonstrations held in cities across Spain. Anger intensified after the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month.
Right-wing opposition parties last week joined forces to defeat two government decrees that included measures intended to curb evictions and real estate speculation, fueling expectations that Sanchez could bring forward an election otherwise due next year.
In a televised address announcing the vote, Sanchez said Spaniards should decide the country’s political direction and argued that a broader progressive majority in parliament was needed to address major national challenges.
“The time has come, therefore, for the Spanish people to decide what future you want for yourselves and for your country,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez, 54, has served as prime minister since 2018 and has led a minority coalition with the left-wing Sumar party since 2023. His government has relied on several smaller parties to pass legislation, complicating efforts to secure parliamentary majorities.
His administration has also faced pressure from legal cases involving members of his Socialist Party and cases involving his wife and brother, both of whom deny wrongdoing.
The government has additionally faced scrutiny over the arrival this summer of tens of thousands of mostly Moroccan migrants in Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta, where a humanitarian crisis has continued for two months.
Despite the political difficulties at home, Spain has recorded one of the fastest-growing economies among developed countries in recent years.
The election will pit Sanchez against Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, whose party already holds the largest number of seats in parliament.
Political scientist Oriol Bartomeus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona said the timing could allow Sanchez to make housing affordability a central election issue and frame the contest along traditional left-versus-right lines.
Feijoo welcomed the announcement, saying Spaniards would now have the opportunity to decide the country’s political future.
The formal dissolution of parliament still requires Cabinet approval. Sanchez convened the Cabinet for later Monday.
