Spain's housing revolt: parliament kills Sanchez's rent decrees as tens of thousands march

Madrid: Spain's housing crisis exploded into a full-blown political crisis this weekend, after parliament voted down emergency rent protections and tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of 50 cities to demand action. On Friday, the Congress of Deputies rejected two government decrees aimed at curbing soaring rents and protecting vulnerable tenants. The package, drawn up after the eviction last month of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than 70 years, included a ban on evicting vulnerable tenants until 2030, a two-year freeze on existing rental contracts, stricter rules for short-term rentals, a moratorium on 'vulture fund' home purchases until 2028, and automatic renewal of rental contracts. Ms. Abascal's rent had reportedly jumped from about 500 euros to 2,650 euros after an investment fund bought her building, later lowered to 1,650 euros, still far beyond what her pension could bear. Her case became the symbol of a rental market in which average prices have nearly doubled in a decade, from 8.20 euros per square metre in 2016 to 15.10 euros today. The decrees, approved by the Council of Ministers in late August, needed ratification within 30 days. They fell when the Catalan separatist party Junts, whose support Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has needed since the 2023 election, joined the conservative People's Party and the far-right Vox in voting no. The 178 votes against sank the package despite a last-gasp plea from Mr. Sanchez, who told lawmakers the decrees carried 'the desire to bring order and a sense of humanity to a market that, if we do not rein it in, will destroy our society.' 'Do the right thing,' he warned, 'or history will judge you, sooner than you think.' Outside, the verdict was already in. On Saturday, tens of thousands marched across the country, about 70,000 in Madrid alone according to the government, with some demonstrators carrying posters calling for a general strike. Valeria Racu, spokeswoman for the Tenants Union, said a general strike would be called after talks with labour unions. In Valencia, the protest turned violent: demonstrators clashed with police, who fired rubber bullets and tear gas; about 30 protesters briefly occupied the landmark City of Arts and Sciences before being removed. In Madrid, police arrested three members of a far-right group after activists, some performing Nazi salutes, tried to confront demonstrators camped in Puerta del Sol. The defeat has set off open speculation that Mr. Sanchez could call a snap election for November rather than waiting until next summer. His office declined to comment, but Spanish media reported he would weigh the strength of Saturday's protests before deciding. Health Minister Monica Garcia said the rejected package would have helped more than five million people. For now, they have nothing, and the streets have the government's attention.