Spain's Sánchez Calls Snap Elections for November 29
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called early parliamentary elections after failing to push through housing crisis legislation, following protests sparked by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. Polls point to a likely win for the center-right opposition.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced snap parliamentary elections for November 29, following the rejection of two housing bills by lawmakers on Friday.
The bills were intended to address a housing affordability crisis that has fueled large-scale protests across Spain over the past week. The unrest was triggered by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment where she had lived since 1956, a case that became a flashpoint for broader public anger over housing costs and eviction practices.
A difficult political landscape
Although Sánchez has built a reputation for political resilience, surviving previous crises that many expected would end his tenure, this latest challenge appears especially steep. Polling consistently shows the center-right People's Party (PP) in the lead with 34% support, well ahead of Sánchez's Socialist Party (PSOE) at 26%, according to POLITICO's Poll of Polls. The PP would likely need to form a coalition with the far-right Vox party, projected to win around 18% of the vote.
Despite declining popularity domestically, Sánchez has raised his international profile over the past year, emerging as one of the Western leaders most willing to openly criticize both former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the conflicts in Gaza and Iran.
As the November vote approaches, the housing crisis and the protests it has sparked are likely to remain central to the campaign and shape the broader political debate in Spain.
