Pedro Sánchez considers 29 November snap election as Junts rejects housing decrees

Parliamentary defeat on housing decrees

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is evaluating a snap general election for 29 November 2026 following the collapse of parliamentary support for two cabinet housing decrees. The Council of Ministers approved the decree laws on Tuesday, anticipating sufficient backing from the seven deputies of Junts per Catalunya to overcome total opposition from the People's Party (PP) and Vox. On Thursday evening, the executive leadership of Junts resolved unanimously to vote against the decrees in the Congress of Deputies. The decision came after the Ministry of Housing had already accepted and incorporated Junts's proposed tax incentives for property owners and tenants during prior negotiations. In response to the breakdown, parliamentary authorities scheduled a roll-call vote where each deputy had to declare their position aloud. Junts spokesperson Miriam Nogueras planned to offer legislative alternatives from the podium, but government figures treated the vote as an overt rupture of their working majority.

Social protests over Madrid eviction

Cabinet members and Socialist Party (PSOE) officials are urging Sánchez to leverage a wave of grassroots mobilization across the country. Public anger escalated following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal last week in Madrid, triggering large-scale street protests and permanent encampments in Madrid's Puerta del Sol as well as municipal squares nationwide. Progressive ministers argue that the housing issue has unified left-leaning political factions that had experienced severe internal divisions in recent months. Government officials characterized the congressional vote as a covert vote of confidence, asserting that public indignation gives the administration leverage against conservative opponents. Ahead of the vote, Minister of Digital Transformation and Civil Service Óscar López issued a public appeal describing the policy confrontation.

Not a single step back. Tomorrow is the day. Housing or speculation. Solutions or privileges. With the people or with the funds. With the streets or with the penthouses.

Cabinet debates and snap election timing

While Sánchez initially planned to complete the legislative term in 2027, the prospect of an unworkable parliament has made 29 November 2026 the earliest legally available date for a general election. Minister of Social Rights Pablo Bustinduy indicated that the next election will function as a referendum on housing, noting that social housing organizations are scheduled to convene on Sunday. Official representatives from the Moncloa palace stated that the prime minister has not finalized an election date, cautioning that party leaders must first evaluate public reactions to the failed vote and observe how conservative parties justify their opposition. Party headquarters at Ferraz also called for patience, emphasizing that the parliamentary voting process had to conclude before setting any firm timeline.

Political friction and legal challenges

PSOE strategists believe governing conditions will deteriorate further in the coming months, particularly with the prospective return of Carles Puigdemont to Spain. Junts faces intense political competition in Catalonia from Aliança Catalana, which has sharpened its stance against the central government. In turn, figures inside Junts dismissed the prospect of an immediate election call, arguing that Sánchez is unlikely to dissolve parliament before the upcoming trial of his wife. In that ongoing judicial proceeding, the private prosecution is demanding a 13-year prison sentence, whereas public prosecutors are seeking her full acquittal. Despite these tensions, government allies argue that the defeat in parliament forces an immediate public choice between progressive housing protection and private real estate interests.