Pedro Sánchez calls Spanish snap election for 29 November after housing defeat

Snap election announcement

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday morning that he had convened the Council of Ministers to dissolve parliament and schedule early general elections for 29 November. Speaking in an institutional address from the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, the 54-year-old socialist leader framed the upcoming vote as a decisive choice regarding the political direction of the country. He argued that voters must determine whether Spain aligns with conservative movements or maintains state-led social protections. In his address, he called on the electorate to resist right-wing political shifts across the continent.

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

Housing legislation collapse

The decision to move up the vote followed a legislative defeat in parliament during the previous week, where right-wing opposition parties combined forces to vote down two government emergency decrees. The rejected measures sought to curb real estate speculation and restrict evictions across the country. Housing affordability had generated nationwide street protests in recent weeks, driven in part by public anger over the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid in September. Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda Isabel Rodríguez described the forthcoming election as a contest between ordinary citizens and speculative vulture funds, arguing that the vote would determine the future of housing, healthcare, education, and the welfare state. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Amor, president of the ATA self-employed workers association, welcomed the announcement, stating that the current legislature had failed to pass General State Budgets while increasing tax burdens on independent workers.

Opposition responses

Conservative and far-right leaders reacted immediately to the early election announcement. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the People's Party, asserted that Sánchez acted out of fear regarding ongoing judicial corruption cases involving his political allies and his wife. Feijóo stated that the vote represents a choice between corruption and decency, asserting that the prime minister deserved electoral punishment for recent political maneuvers. On television channel A3, Vox leader Santiago Abascal directed attention to immigration, citing the July 2026 crossing of migrants into the North African enclave of Ceuta. Abascal accused Sánchez of serving Moroccan interests, while Sánchez had previously informed lawmakers that Moroccan authorities did not orchestrate the border crossing. Current opinion polls indicate that a coalition between the People's Party and Vox represents the most probable outcome, though Abascal warned that polling had also misjudged the 2023 general election.

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

Political record and governance

Sánchez has held the prime minister's office since 2018, leading minority administrations that relied on fragile parliamentary agreements to pass legislation. Born in Madrid in 1972, he initially took leadership of the PSOE in 2014 before being ousted and returning to power inside the party six months later. His tenure has combined domestic disputes over judicial inquiries with distinct foreign policy stances, including opposition to Donald Trump over policy toward Iran and denouncing Israeli operations in Gaza as genocide. Former deputy prime minister Pablo Iglesias previously described Sánchez as a cold and intelligent operator in Spanish politics. Following the Council of Ministers meeting on Monday, the royal decree dissolves both houses of parliament to prepare for the 29 November vote.