Tens of thousands of people took to the streets in Madrid and cities across Spain to demand cheaper housing, just one day after lawmakers rejected measures intended to ease pressure on tenants.
Some protesters carried signs urging a general strike, reflecting the anger that has intensified since parliament voted down the proposals. The measures had been drafted in response to public outrage over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, alongside broader concerns about soaring rents and housing insecurity.
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Spanish media reported yesterday that Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez could call an early election in November after the defeat, with the size of Saturday’s demonstrations likely to influence his decision. Mr Sanchez’s office declined to comment on the reports.
In Valencia, in southeastern Spain, clashes broke out between protesters and police. Officers used rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Valeria Racu, a spokeswoman for the Tenants Union, said in Madrid that the group would discuss the possibility of a general strike with labour unions before announcing one.
The Spanish government estimated that around 70,000 people joined the demonstration in Madrid on Saturday.
Planned marches in Barcelona and neighbouring Hospitalet de Llobregat were cancelled because of heavy rain.
The government had sought to pass the rent relief package after nationwide protests erupted over the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, who was carried out on a stretcher from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for roughly 70 years.
Eviction of 87-year-old woman sparks Madrid protests
The parliamentary defeat dealt another blow to Mr Sánchez and revived doubts about whether his minority administration can remain in office until the next general election, scheduled for 2027.
Junts, the Catalan separatist party whose backing was needed for the two decrees to pass, voted against them, saying the proposals were not rigorous enough.
Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the opposition conservative Popular Party (PP), urged Mr Sanchez after the vote to “call elections as soon as possible”.
After eight years in government, Mr Sanchez had the support of “neither the streets nor parliament”, he said.
Recent opinion polls have typically shown the Popular Party ahead of the Socialists.
The Tenants’ Union, which has organised the protests, said demonstrations were planned in more than 50 cities.
“There is an irreparable disconnect between what the people want and what the parties vote for,” the organisation said in a statement.
Demonstrators hold a banner reading ‘General strike’ during a protest against evictions and high rent prices on Plaza de Espana, Madrid
In Madrid, activists and other protesters have spent about a week camping in Puerta del Sol, one of the capital’s best-known tourist squares.
Marchers began at several points across the city before gathering at Plaza de Cibeles in the centre of Madrid.
Officials put the turnout at 70,000, while organisers claimed that as many as 500,000 people had taken part.
One demonstrator said he had previously shared a two-bedroom apartment with friends for €900 a month. A one-bedroom flat, he said, can now cost €1,000 – roughly half the median monthly salary in Madrid.
He said he would continue protesting against rising rents “until someone dares to regulate it all as (otherwise) we’ll all have to leave Madrid and that would be a shame as I am from Madrid”.
The package rejected yesterday would have provided for rental contracts to be renewed automatically when they expired and introduced measures to limit the eviction of vulnerable tenants.
It also sought to curb the influence of so-called vulture funds, investment firms that purchase properties cheaply in the hope of securing larger returns.
Activists have camped at Madrid’s Puerto del Sol for the last week
Housing has remained one of Spain’s most pressing political issues for years, as demand continues to outstrip supply and rents and property prices rise, mirroring pressures seen across the European Union.
According to real estate website Idealista, average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have increased by about 90%.
Ms Abascal’s eviction became a flashpoint for long-standing frustration over the country’s escalating housing costs.
Housing campaigners said she was forced to leave the Madrid flat after an investment company acquired it and attempted to raise her rent by 275%.
The backlash eventually prompted the property’s new owners to reach an agreement allowing her to return to the apartment at a low rent.
