Spain’s Sanchez calls early elections after housing measures rejected

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday announced early elections for Nov. 29 after parliament rejected two government housing decrees amid mounting protests over the country’s housing crisis.

Speaking at his official residence in Madrid, Sanchez said he would convene his Cabinet later Monday to begin the process of calling the election.

He acknowledged that his government had made mistakes and had not achieved everything it intended, arguing that further progress required a stronger parliamentary majority.

Sanchez said housing, inequality and public services remained challenges, and called for renewed public support to continue his coalition’s reforms.

The announcement comes after Friday’s defeat of two housing decrees drafted in response to protests sparked by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home.

The Catalan separatist party Junts joined the conservative Popular Party and far-right Vox in voting down both measures, despite negotiations with the government over parts of their content.

Thousands took to the streets across Spain over the weekend to demand action on housing, while protesters continued camping in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square.

He framed the election as a choice between continuing progressive reforms and joining a far-right wave that would roll back rights.

The prime minister urged voters to give Spain a broader progressive majority, saying the country should remain a model of openness and social justice.

Defending his government’s record, Sanchez listed economic growth, job creation, falling inequality, expanded scholarships and leave entitlements, investment in education and health care, and industrial modernization among its achievements.

He also highlighted the ecological transition and Spain’s international positions, including support for Ukraine, the EU and UN.

Sanchez described Spain as a “global reference point for peace, feminism and prosperity” and urged voters to ensure it remained “a bastion of openness and social justice.”

Spain last held a general election in 2023, when Sanchez’s Socialist Party finished second. He formed a coalition government with the left-wing Sumar alliance, securing parliamentary backing from smaller parties, including the conservative Catalan separatist party Junts.

The next general election was due to be held no later than Aug. 22, 2027.