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Large‑scale protests erupted across Spain, including Madrid, on Saturday after legislators narrowly rejected a package of tenant‑protection measures proposed by the government.
The demonstrations, involving tens of thousands of participants, extended a week‑long crisis that began with the forced eviction on September 23 of a pensioner from her Madrid apartment.
The government had proposed the measures in response to widespread protests sparked by the eviction, on a stretcher, of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal from a Madrid apartment she had occupied for roughly seven decades.
The legislative defeat marks another political blow for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and raises fresh doubts about the survival of his minority government until the next general election scheduled for 2027.
The Catalan separatist party Junts, whose support had been crucial for the two decrees, voted against them, arguing that they lacked rigour.
After the vote, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijó urged Sánchez to “call elections as soon as possible”.
Having been in office for eight years, Sánchez, he added, now “has the backing of neither the streets nor parliament”.
Recent opinion polls consistently show the opposition Popular Party ahead of the Socialists.
The Tenants’ Union, which has been coordinating the protests, called for demonstrations on Saturday in more than 50 cities.
The union said in a statement, “There is an irreparable disconnect between what the people want and what the parties vote for.”
Targeting vulture funds
In Madrid, activists have been camping for about a week in Puerta del Sol, one of the capital’s main tourist squares.
Demonstrators set off from various neighborhoods before gathering at Plaza de Cibeles in central Madrid.
The package of measures defeated on Friday included automatic renewal of rental contracts upon expiry and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants.
They also targeted so‑called vulture funds – investment firms that purchase properties at low prices to secure higher returns.
Housing has long been a top concern for Spaniards, as supply fails to meet demand and rents and home prices soar, mirroring trends across the European Union.
Average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have risen by roughly 90 % since 2014, according to the real‑estate website Idealista.
Abascal’s eviction catalysed long‑running anger over runaway housing costs.
She was forced to leave the Madrid flat she had occupied for decades after it was bought by an investment company that tried to raise her rent by 275 %, according to housing campaigners.
The public outcry prompted the property’s new owners to reach a deal that allowed her to return to the flat at a reduced rent.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
