Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced early elections for November 29 on October 5, 2026, following a significant political setback for his minority government. The announcement came after parliament rejected housing relief measures proposed by Sanchez's coalition on October 2, marking what sources describe as the latest in a series of legislative defeats for the Socialist premier.
Sanchez made the announcement in a televised address from La Moncloa Palace in Madrid. "To do more, we need to renew and broaden the support of the people," Sanchez said, stating his aim was "to secure a much broader, progressive majority in parliament." He acknowledged making mistakes and falling short of campaign promises, saying "part of that social majority is dissatisfied today."
The government's proposed housing measures, which included automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants, were voted down by opposition parties. The rejection came from the Catalan separatist party Junts—on whose support the government relies—which argued the measures were hastily drawn up and would worsen the housing crisis. The legislative defeat coincided with a broader public crisis: tens of thousands of protesters marched in Madrid and other cities on October 3 demanding affordable housing reforms. The demonstrations were triggered by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid flat in September, where she had lived for more than seven decades. An investment company had sought to raise her rent by 275%, according to housing campaigners. After public pressure, the company reached a deal allowing Abascal to return at a low rent.
Hundreds of protesters have occupied a tent city in central Madrid for more than a week to press for housing reforms. Spain's housing crisis has deepened as supply falls short of demand, with average rents nearly doubling over the past decade and asking prices for homes rising approximately 90%, according to real estate data cited in the sources. Many ordinary Spaniards report that inflation has outpaced wage growth while rent takes up an increasing share of household incomes, despite Spain's strong overall economic performance.
Sanchez's decision to call early elections is a significant political gamble. Recent opinion polls have generally placed the main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) ahead of the Socialists. The PP's leader, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, welcomed the election announcement, saying Spaniards would "finally" get a chance to decide. Opinion polls cited in the sources suggest a coalition led by the PP with the support of the far-right Vox party is the most likely outcome, which would usher a far-right party into Spain's central government for the first time since the country's return to democracy following dictator Francisco Franco's death.
Sanchez defended his government's economic record in his address, noting that under his leadership Spain's economy has grown faster than those of its main European peers and unemployment has fallen to its lowest level in almost two decades. However, after eight years in power, Sanchez faces mounting pressure from multiple directions. He is under scrutiny over corruption scandals involving people close to him, including his wife and figures in his Socialist Party. He has also faced widespread criticism over his handling of migrant crises, including the situation in the North African territory of Ceuta, where thousands of migrants from Morocco entered in late July, with many still sleeping in makeshift camps at the time of reporting.
Despite trailing in polls, Sanchez has proven a skilled political operator. In 2023, despite heavy losses in earlier regional and local elections, he won a second four-year term by negotiating support from a loose alliance of parties in parliament after promising a controversial amnesty for pro-independence Catalan leaders. Spain has been operating under its 2023 budget, the last national spending plan passed by Sanchez's government, for several years, as his coalition has struggled to pass new legislation.
