Europe's Housing Crisis: Eviction Protests in Spain, Berlin Weighs Removing Property Investors
High rents and a shortage of apartments are pushing European cities to look for radical solutions. Spain has seen protests over evictions, while Berlin is considering getting rid of real estate investors.
Europe's housing crisis is deepening: rents are high, apartments are scarce, and public anger is growing. As a result, a number of cities are searching for new solutions, and the debate over whether housing is a right or merely a commodity is producing increasingly radical proposals.
Protests in Spain
In Spain, the eviction of an elderly woman from her apartment triggered mass protests. Demonstrators are demanding stronger protection for tenants.
Berlin's proposal
In Berlin, the German capital, the city is weighing the possibility of getting rid of real estate investors. The left-wing party Die Linke wants to take housing away from private owners and return it to state ownership.
Who profits?
These debates raise basic questions: is housing a right or a commodity, and who profits from it?
About the programme
The topic is covered in a weekly programme produced by ARTE, the European public broadcaster. It is published in ten languages in cooperation with El País (Spain), Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland), Internazionale (Italy), Kathimerini (Greece), Le Soir (Belgium), Telex (Hungary), Ir (Latvia), Balkan Insight (the Balkans) and Sinopsis (Romania). The project is funded by the European Union through European Media Platforms funds.
