Full Breakdown
Spain’s Emergency Housing Decrees Face Parliamentary Defeat Amid Nationwide Protests
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Parliamentary Vote on Emergency Housing Decrees
Lawmakers convened on Friday to consider two emergency decrees aimed at curbing evictions, limiting speculative purchases, extending rental contracts and offering tax incentives for low-income renters. The governing coalition of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lacks a majority, and the Catalan separatist party Jun Junts announced it would vote against the measures. Combined with opposition from the centre-right Popular Party and the far-right Vox, the decrees are expected to be rejected, raising the prospect of a snap election.
Background: Housing Crisis and Triggering Eviction
The package was drafted after a televised eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who had lived in the same Madrid apartment for 70 years. The incident sparked a camp-in at Puerta del Sol and protests across Spain’s major cities. Spain’s housing market has seen rents nearly double over the past decade, with the average price per square metre rising from €8.20 in 2016 to €15.1 this year, according to the real-estate portal Idealista. The Bank of Spain estimates a shortfall of 750,000 homes, while Eurostat reports a 12.8 % rise in purchase prices over the past year, outpacing the EU average of 5.1 %.
Official Statements & Responses
Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez highlighted fiscal components, including a 10 % VAT on tourist apartments and tax breaks for households earning less than €33,000, which would affect roughly 1.6 million families.
Criticism from Junts
Junts leader Míriam Nogueras warned that the decrees could push owners to withdraw properties from the rental market, further inflating prices. She argued that the proposals still permit speculation and evictions.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These decrees still allow speculators to buy property and to evict people,” — Míriam Nogueras, Junts
