Pedro Sánchez calls snap election in Spain for 29 November after housing defeat

Government dissolves parliament after housing defeat

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of parliament on 5 October 2026, setting a snap general election for 29 November. The decision moved forward a national vote that had originally been expected in mid-2027. Speaking from the Moncloa Palace following an extraordinary cabinet meeting, Sánchez framed the early election as a necessity after right-wing opposition parties joined forces on 2 October to vote down two emergency government decrees designed to limit rent increases and prevent evictions. The defeat confirmed that the minority left-wing coalition no longer controlled a working legislative majority.

I have decided to convene the Council of Ministers today to dissolve the chambers and call early elections for next 29 November.

Public protests and the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal

The legislative standoff followed weeks of public anger over escalating housing costs across Spain. Unrest expanded after the televised eviction on 23 September of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who had lived in her rent-controlled Madrid apartment for seven decades until an investment firm acquired the property and sought to raise her rent by 275%. Following the defeat of the housing decrees on Friday, tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday in Madrid and dozens of other cities. In the capital, hundreds of protesters established an encampment in Puerta del Sol that remained in place for over a week to demand rent controls.

To carry out in depth the pending reforms that we need, we must mobilise and ensure that Parliament grants us a much broader, progressive majority, thanks to which we can bend the elites, conquer new social progress and continue transforming Spain.

Political vulnerabilities and corruption inquiries

The election call coincides with mounting political pressure on Sánchez, who has served as prime minister since 2018. His administration experienced a logistical crisis in July 2026, when more than 70,000 migrants crossed into the North African enclave of Ceuta before Moroccan authorities facilitated the return of the majority. Domestically, the Socialist Party faces investigations that have implicated party figures Santos Cerdán and José Luis Ábalos. Former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero also faces accusations of benefiting financially from a state bailout of the airline Plus Ultra, which he denies. Additionally, the prime minister's wife, Begoña Gómez, faces trial on charges of embezzlement and influence peddling, allegations the couple rejects.

Electoral polling and market stakes

Economic figures indicate Spanish gross domestic product grew at a rate of around 2.5%, supported by migration policies, though housing supply constraints have simultaneously increased rental costs. An opinion poll conducted in September 2026 by 40db for El País and Cadena SER showed the conservative Popular Party leading with 31.6% of voter support. Sánchez's Socialist Party placed second with 27.4%, while the anti-immigration party Vox recorded 18.4%. The parliamentary campaign will run through November ahead of the 29 November ballot.