SANCHEZ CALLS SPANISH ELECTION AFTER HOUSING VOTE DEFEAT

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called an early election for 29 November, after parliament rejected housing relief measures proposed by his minority government. Opposition parties voted down the measures, which included automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants, last Friday. The defeat came a day before tens of thousands of protesters marched in Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday demanding affordable housing. Announcing the election in a televised address on Monday, Sanchez said he wanted to "renew and broaden the support of the people" and secure "a much broader, progressive majority in parliament". Sanchez has led Spain's government since 2018.

The protests have continued for more than a week, triggered by the eviction last month of Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid flat where she had lived for decades. Hundreds of protesters have since occupied a tent encampment in central Madrid to press for housing reforms. Spain has been operating under its 2023 budget for several years, having failed to pass a new national spending plan since then. Average rents have almost doubled over the past decade and asking prices for homes have risen by about 90 per cent, according to the property website Idealista.

The defeat highlighted difficulties facing Sanchez's minority coalition in parliament. Recent opinion polls have generally placed the opposition Popular Party ahead of the Socialists. The 29 November vote will test whether Sanchez can secure the broader majority he says his government needs. Housing is expected to remain prominent in the campaign, given the scale of recent protests in Madrid.