Spain's Prime Minister Calls Snap Election After Housing Bill Defeat

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said a snap election will be held on 29 November after his government's housing reform proposals were rejected by the Congress on Friday. The defeated measures included a suspension of evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, a two-year extension of rental leases expiring before 2028, higher taxes on tourist apartments and restrictions on purchases of residential properties by investment funds, as well as an automatic renewal of rental contracts.

The opposition People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo welcomed the decision, stating that “at last the majority will speak again” and urging voters to choose between Sánchez’s agenda and an alternative vision for Spain.

The announcement follows a week of tenant protests across major cities, sparked by a high-profile eviction case in Madrid that highlighted rising rents. Protesters called for stronger tenant protections, a demand that the rejected legislation sought to address.

Polls ahead of the vote suggest the centre-right People's Party could emerge as the largest party, though it may need support from the far-right Vox party to form a government. Sánchez, who has led a minority government since 2018, said a broader progressive majority is needed to overcome “the resistance of the elites” and advance reforms.

The snap election comes more than three years before the next scheduled national vote, which was due by the summer of 2027.