Spanish tenants' union backs housing decrees ahead of Friday vote in Congress
Spain's Tenants' Union called on all parliamentary groups to validate two government housing decrees on Friday, scheduling nationwide rallies outside city halls.
Union endorsement and protest call
The Confederation of Tenants' Unions called on the Congress of Deputies on Wednesday to ratify two housing decree-laws approved by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday. To build pressure before lawmakers vote, the activist network organized nationwide pot-banging protests outside town halls across Spain for Thursday at 20:00. The confederation also called street demonstrations for Saturday, describing the mobilizations as steps toward a general strike. Spokesperson Alicia del Río addressed reporters outside the headquarters of the People's Party on Calle Génova in Madrid, urging conservative deputies not to block the decrees.
Answer, Mr. Feijóo, are you on the side of family stability?
Del Río declared that lawmakers face a choice on Friday between supporting families or enabling financial speculation, while confirming that ongoing protest campouts in city centres will remain active throughout the week.
Split decrees and tenant protections
The two executive orders originated from a single legislative package drafted after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, known publicly as Maricarmen, who became a focal point of recent housing protests. The first decree extends residential lease agreements until 2028 and suspends evictions through 2030 for vulnerable tenants. It also bans investment funds from acquiring residential real estate at prices below 70% of market value. The second decree mandates the automatic renewal of rental contracts, which tenant organizations view as the central demand of their campaign. The union confederation criticized Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for splitting the measures into two texts, arguing the division makes it easier for opposition parties to reject the automatic lease renewal while passing the first decree.
- Council of Ministers approves two emergency housing decree-laws
- Tenants' Union calls on all parliamentary groups to validate both decrees
- Tenants' Union organizes nationwide protests outside city halls
- Congress convenes for extraordinary plenary vote on decrees
- Tenants' Union schedules nationwide demonstrations across cities
Parliamentary arithmetic and party negotiations
The union's endorsement reshaped parliamentary negotiations ahead of the extraordinary plenary session scheduled for Friday. Left-wing party Podemos had previously tied its voting position directly to the union's verdict, and party leaders arranged a formal meeting with tenant representatives for Thursday. Party leader Ione Belarra stated on Cadena SER that the first decree would probably pass with backing or abstention from Junts, but predicted that the second decree would be rejected. Junts lawmakers indicated they were disappointed with the government's proposals and declined to commit their votes. Meanwhile, the conservative People's Party did not indicate whether its deputies would vote against or abstain on the two measures.
Scrutiny from parliamentary allies
Support from regional allies also remains uncertain as deputies review the legislative drafts. Gabriel Rufián, the spokesperson for Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya in the Congress of Deputies, stated on Wednesday that his parliamentary group will scrutinize every provision before confirming its support. Rufián acknowledged that the decree includes key demands long sought by his party, but he criticized the government for delaying the publication of the second text.
We are going to review every last comma of the PSOE texts, we have to look at them against the light just in case.
Rufián also disregarded guidance from party officials in Barcelona, stating that his parliamentary team will independently inspect the final wording before the vote on Friday.
