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Spain Congress Rejects Two Emergency Housing Decree-Laws

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC · How we work

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Junts breaks ranks

Spain’s Congress in Madrid rejected two government emergency decree-laws on housing on 2 October 2026.
The measures were rejected by narrow margins, with 178-172 votes against the eviction suspension decree and 184-166 against the automatic-renewal decree.
Junts, previously a government ally, broke ranks and voted against the housing reforms.
The decree would suspend evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030; the second would auto-renew leases.

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Elderly Eviction Protest

Spain’s Congress rejected two government emergency housing decree-laws on 2 October 2026.
The vote triggered protests over an 87-year-old woman’s eviction, underscoring rent hikes that outpaced her pension and sparked chants of “your profits, our misery”.
Pedro Sánchez urged legislators to protect ordinary people, young adults at home, and rent-burdened families.
The eviction lifted rent from €500 to €2,650, far exceeding her €1,350 pension.

History

Historical Context

During the 2008 global financial crisis, triggered by the U.S. subprime collapse, the United States passed a $700 billion emergency stabilization act and Europe faced widespread bank failures. That year Spain hosted Euro 2008 and Expo Zaragoza, marking a brief boom before the crisis deepened housing debt—a legacy that fuels current debates over emergency rent legislation.

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Junts breaks ranks

Spain’s Congress in Madrid rejected two government emergency decree-laws on housing on 2 October 2026.
The measures were rejected by narrow margins, with 178-172 votes against the eviction suspension decree and 184-166 against the automatic-renewal decree.
Junts, previously a government ally, broke ranks and voted against the housing reforms.
The decree would suspend evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030; the second would auto-renew leases.

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