Junts rejects Spanish housing decrees, prompting clash with Salvador Illa and PSOE

Parliamentary standoff in Madrid

Junts per Catalunya announced its decision to vote against two royal decrees on housing submitted by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government to the Congress of Deputies on Friday, 2 October 2026. The party's executive committee met on Thursday night and resolved unanimously to demand the withdrawal of both texts and the drafting of a new proposal. The rejection leaves the minority coalition government without sufficient votes to validate the measures in parliament, as conservative and right-wing groups also plan to vote against them. Catalan President Salvador Illa publicly criticized Junts for the decision on Friday morning and urged the group to reconsider its stance.

One cannot say that Catalonia is being defended while measures to guarantee the right to housing are blocked. Defending Catalonia is defending its people. Junts, PP and VOX do exactly the opposite.

Junts defense and ministerial criticism

Mònica Sales, parliamentary leader of Junts in the Parliament of Catalonia, responded to Illa by arguing that the government's measures would damage the rental market. Sales stated that the legislation would decrease housing supply and fail to restrict investment funds from evicting tenants.

They reduce the supply of housing, raise prices, and allow vulture funds to keep buying and evicting vulnerable families. Fewer rental apartments. More expensive. And the vulture funds, intact. Is this protecting the people?

Sales also noted that left-wing party Comuns had previously abstained during the Catalan Parliament's General Policy Debate, causing the defeat of Illa's proposal for shared housing purchases for citizens aged 40–60. Spanish government ministers responded sharply to Junts's position. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente stated on social media that the decision showed the party's alignment with right-wing opposition.

If the decree had not been split, there would have been doubt about whether Junts would have approved any measure separately. This way, none remains.

Health Minister Mónica García also condemned the vote, stating that political actions must improve living conditions rather than obstruct solutions.

Activist protests and polling numbers

The housing union Sindicat de Llogateres organized a demonstration outside Junts headquarters in Barcelona during the parliamentary debate. The organization joined an existing housing encampment in Plaça de Catalunya on Thursday and called for a broader street demonstration on Saturday. Public opinion data published by the Generalitat in 2025 indicates widespread concern regarding housing access. In that survey, 91% of Catalans described finding a home as difficult or very difficult. Among voters of Junts, 88% shared that assessment, with 54% attributing price increases to profit-seeking and speculation.

Catalonia's existing housing controls

The dispute takes place while Catalonia tests stricter tenant regulations than other Spanish regions. The Catalan administration under Salvador Illa set a medium-term objective to expand subsidized public housing to 15% of the total regional housing stock. Under Law 11/2025, regional authorities capped room rental rates, establishing that the combined cost of individual rooms cannot exceed the maximum legal rent for the entire dwelling. The same law required landlords to present documented justifications for temporary contracts, which are capped at 11 months, preventing owners from circumventing price controls through short-term leases. To enforce compliance, the Generalitat established a dedicated Directorate General of Housing Discipline and deployed specialized inspectors to investigate property firms and investment funds.