Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez Calls Snap Elections as Pressure Mounts Over National Housing Crisis

Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a snap general election for November 29 on Monday, after his minority coalition government suffered a bruising defeat in Parliament last week over emergency measures aimed at tackling the country's deepening housing crisis.

The lower house voted down two housing decrees on Friday despite last-minute negotiations, as right-wing opposition parties joined forces to block measures intended to curb evictions and real estate speculation. The defeat followed mass demonstrations across the country, with the government estimating that more than 70,000 people took part in a housing protest in Madrid on Saturday alone, where demonstrators held up keys in a symbolic demand for stronger renter protections.

Sanchez, 54, who has been prime minister since 2018, framed the vote as an opportunity for Spaniards to choose the country's future direction, saying he hoped to secure a stronger progressive majority. He has built an international profile as a leading progressive voice in Europe through his stance on migration, advocacy for Palestinians, and criticism of the US and Israeli military action against Iran, while also presiding over one of the fastest-growing economies among developed nations.

The announcement comes amid a difficult stretch for his government, which has also faced a migration crisis in the North African enclave of Ceuta, where tens of thousands of mostly Moroccan migrants crossed the border in late July, as well as mounting corruption cases involving figures close to him and his Socialist Party, including his wife and brother.

The formal dissolution of parliament will need to be approved by the Cabinet, which Sánchez has convened for later Monday.