Spain faces fresh housing protests after parliament rejects tenant protections
Spain is facing another wave of housing protests after parliament rejected two government measures aimed at strengthening protections for tenants, adding fresh pressure to an already tense political and housing situation.
Demonstrations are expected in Madrid and more than 50 other Spanish cities following the parliamentary defeat. The measures had been introduced after nationwide anger over the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home, where she had lived for roughly seven decades.
The rejection represents another setback for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and has raised renewed questions about the stability of his minority government ahead of Spain’s next scheduled general election in 2027.
The two proposed measures required support from Catalan separatist party Junts, but the party voted against them, arguing that the proposals did not meet the necessary standards of rigour. The vote highlighted the political difficulties facing Sánchez’s government as it attempts to respond to growing public concern over housing affordability.
Following the defeat, Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called on Sánchez to hold elections as soon as possible. Feijóo argued that after years in government, Sánchez no longer had sufficient support from either parliament or the public.
Recent opinion polling has generally shown the opposition Popular Party ahead of the Socialists, although polling results can change and do not determine election outcomes.
Meanwhile, housing campaigners are taking their concerns back to the streets. The Tenants’ Union, which has helped coordinate the demonstrations, has called for protests in more than 50 cities.
In a statement, the organisation argued that there is a growing gap between what people are demanding on housing and the decisions being made by political parties in parliament.
Madrid has already become a focal point for the movement. Activists and protesters have been camping for around a week at Puerta del Sol, one of the capital’s most prominent public squares.
Demonstrators are expected to begin marches from several locations across Madrid before gathering at Plaza de Cibeles in the city centre.
The rejected housing package included proposals for the automatic renewal of rental contracts when they expire, as well as measures intended to provide additional protection against eviction for vulnerable tenants.
The measures also sought to address the role of investment companies sometimes referred to by campaigners as “vulture funds”. These firms can purchase properties at discounted prices while seeking higher financial returns from those assets.
For many Spaniards, the housing crisis is not a new issue. Housing affordability has remained a major concern for years as demand continues to put pressure on limited supply. Rising rents and property prices have also reflected broader housing pressures seen across parts of the European Union.
According to data cited from real estate website Idealista, average rents in Spain have almost doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have increased by around 90 percent.
The case of Maricarmen Abascal became a powerful symbol of the wider dispute. Housing campaigners said she was removed from the Madrid apartment after it was acquired by an investment company that attempted to increase her rent by 275 percent.
Her eviction, carried out while she was on a stretcher, triggered widespread public anger and brought renewed attention to the experiences of older and vulnerable tenants facing rising housing costs.
The backlash eventually resulted in an agreement with the property’s new owners that allowed Abascal to return to the apartment at a low rent.
Her story has since become part of a much larger national conversation about housing, affordability, tenant security and the balance between property investment and the rights of people who depend on long-term rental homes.
For ordinary families and older residents, the debate is ultimately about more than legislation or parliamentary votes. It is about whether people can continue to afford the homes they have built their lives around. As protests return to Spanish streets, housing is once again putting pressure on both policymakers and the political system.