Spain calls snap general election for 29 November after housing bill defeat

Parliamentary defeat triggers early vote

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a snap general election for 29 November 2026 during an official address from the Moncloa Palace on Monday morning. The move followed a legislative defeat last week when right-wing opposition parties united in parliament to strike down two emergency decrees designed to curb rent speculation and prevent evictions. Public frustration had mounted in recent weeks following nationwide protests, which were sparked in part by the televised eviction of an 87-year-old resident in Madrid. Sánchez, 54, who has served as prime minister since 2018, convened an extraordinary Council of Ministers on 5 October to formally dissolve both chambers of the Cortes Generales.

Spaniards must decide what role to play, whether we join the far-right wave or whether Spain will continue to be a bastion of openness, social justice, and environmental responsibility.

Legislative fallout and electoral deadlines

The early dissolution terminates the fifteenth legislature, extinguishing nearly 100 legislative projects under Article 207 of the congressional regulations. Dropped government bills include regional debt cancellation through the Regional Liquidity Fund (FLA) negotiated with ERC, and an executive plan to ban social media use for individuals under 16. Sectoral legislation also expired immediately, including Health Minister Mónica García's plan to ban smoking on outdoor terraces, Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun's cinema law, and a pending family law. Following the decree's publication in the Official State Gazette on 6 October, parties have a ten-day window until 16 October to register formal coalitions. Podemos proposed holding open primaries on 14 and 15 October to resolve candidate selection with Frente Amplio before the 26 October deadline for finalizing party lists.

Opposition campaign stances

Media analyst Carlos Alsina noted on Onda Cero that the election will operate as a plebiscite on Sánchez's leadership for both the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party and Alberto Núñez Feijóo's People's Party. Published opinion polls suggest a conservative alliance between the People's Party and Vox represents the most likely parliamentary majority. Appearing on A3 television, Vox president Santiago Abascal centered his reaction on national sovereignty and border control, pointing to the July migrant entry into the enclave of Ceuta. While Sánchez previously told lawmakers that Moroccan authorities did not organize the crossings, Abascal argued the administration served foreign interests and questioned the reliability of current surveys.

The polls said the same thing in 2023 and Sánchez managed to form a majority with all his accomplices.

Judicial proceedings during the campaign

The electoral period coincides with multiple judicial timelines across Spanish courts. The Supreme Court remains tasked with resolving a challenge to the overseas voting registry under the grandchildren law, after granting a precautionary suspension requested by Vox and Iustitia Europa on 8 September. The extra-parliamentary group asked the tribunal on Monday to ensure the suspension applies fully throughout the 29 November vote. Simultaneously, investigations into influence peddling linked to former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will continue at the National Court, where his daughters Alba and Laura are scheduled to testify on 30 November. Inquiries into the Leire Díez case will also progress, whereas a separate jury proceeding concerning the prime minister's wife will not occur until mid-2027.