Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for Nov. 29 after parliament rejected his government’s housing relief measures, a move that follows nationwide protests over soaring rents and evictions. The decision, announced on Oct. 5, accelerates elections originally scheduled for mid-2027, as Sánchez seeks to break a legislative deadlock and capitalize on public anger over housing affordability.
The trigger came last week when the lower house voted down two housing decree-laws, with opposition from the center-right People’s Party, far-right Vox, Catalan pro-independence party Junts, and the Navarrese regional party UPN. The defeat exposed the fragility of Sánchez’s minority coalition, which has struggled with scandals and a precarious majority throughout its term. Protests erupted after the Sept. 23 eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, who had lived in her rental home for 70 years, galvanizing housing activists across the country.
With parliament now dissolved, responsibility for ratifying government-approved laws shifts to the Permanent Deputation, a 69-member committee where Sánchez’s allies hold a slim majority of 35 seats. Analysts note Sánchez may use this window to push through housing measures ahead of the vote. Javier Carbonell, a policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, told FRANCE 24 that Sánchez had chosen “the best moment in a sea of troubles” to call the election, aiming to rally left-wing voters mobilized by the housing crisis .
The election will test Sánchez’s gamble that housing can dominate the campaign, as polls show his Socialist Party trailing the People’s Party, which may need far-right support to form a government. The vote also risks reshaping Spain’s role in EU politics, with Socialists warning a Sánchez defeat could strain alliances backing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen .
