In Spain, the government collapsed after the tenant was evicted from the house: 87-year-old woman could not pay the expensive rent; Elections to be held 8 months early

In Spain, the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from the house became a very big issue. Thousands of people took to the streets to protest against the high rent and eviction of people. The case escalated so much that the government had to bring an emergency bill in parliament to provide relief to tenants. But the government could not pass it. After that, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that elections would be held about 8 months ahead of schedule. Voting in Spain will take place on November 29, 2026. The elderly woman, who had been living in the house for 70 years, started the case on September 23. In Madrid, 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal was evicted from the house where she had lived for almost 70 years. This house had been rented by the Abascal family for many decades. In 2018, the original owner of the house sold the entire building to a real estate company. After that, a dispute over the rent started between the company and Abascal. The company increased the rent from 500 euros to 2650 euros. Abascal's monthly pension was about 1,350 euros. That is, the rent asked for was much more than his entire monthly income. For this reason, he was not in a position to pay the new rent. The matter then went to court. After the incident, protests started all over the country. The matter spread rapidly after photos and videos of Abascal being evicted from the house surfaced. People said that if an 87-year-old woman could not pay the rent of the house even after giving her entire pension, then it was not just a family's problem. In many cities, including Madrid, people protested against high rent and evictions. Abascal's case gradually became a symbol of Spain's growing housing crisis. Pressure also began to mount on the government. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government said that urgent measures needed to be taken to prevent the elderly and other vulnerable tenants from being evicted from their homes. The government introduced two emergency bills, both rejected. On September 29, the government introduced two emergency bills in parliament to provide relief to tenants. The first bill: It had a plan to prevent weak tenants from evicting them from their homes by 2030. At the same time, there was talk of putting some restrictions on rent hikes and stopping big investors from buying houses. There was also a provision to give tax relief to small landlords and tenants. Second bill: It talked about extending the existing rent agreement of tenants. That is, they would not have had to vacate the house immediately after the contract ended and they would have had the opportunity to live in the same house for a little longer. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government does not have a majority in Parliament. Therefore, they need the support of other parties for every major decision. The government had hoped that other parties would support these measures in view of the housing crisis. But they did not get the necessary support. Both the resolutions could not be passed in the vote held on October 2. 4 Reasons Why the Bills Didn't Get Support Reason 1: Other parties felt that this could lead to a reduction in rental homes: The opposing parties said that if more regulations were imposed on landlords, they could avoid renting out their houses. This could lead to fewer houses for rent in the market. Reason 2: Risk of rent hiking further: When the number of houses for rent decreases, the rent of the remaining houses may increase. That is, instead of providing relief to the tenants, the problem may become bigger. Reason 3: There was also an objection to small landlords: Junts said that the government's plan did not adequately take care of the interests of small landlords. The coalition party wanted more relief and security for them as well. Reason 4: The government's political opponents also did not come together: The opposition parties PP and Vox were already opposing the housing policy of the Sánchez government. They did not support both bills. Why did Sánchez decide to hold elections early? No majority in parliament: Sánchez's government does not have a majority of its own. Therefore, every major decision has to take the support of other parties. They also did not get support on both the housing bills. The budget could not also be passed: Sánchez's government could not pass a new budget after 2023. This shows how difficult it became for the government to get the necessary support in parliament. Corruption and pressure on migration: The government was already under the target of the opposition over corruption allegations and the issue of migration. Political pressure on Sánchez was also increasing on these issues. Júnchez began to leave the side: In 2023, with the support of Catalonia's separatist party Junts, Sánchez became prime minister again. But now Juntz was opposing many of the government's decisions. He also did not support the government on both housing bills. How big is the rent crisis in Spain? The number of affordable homes is very low: There are very few affordable government homes for low-income people in Spain. The share of such homes in total households is only 1.5%. According to Reuters, in some cases, the price of rent has reached almost 99% of a young person's average monthly earnings. More than 1 million homes at risk of shortage by 2028: The central bank has warned that if the housing shortage is not addressed, there could be a shortage of more than 1 million homes by 2028.