Tens of thousands of protesters marched through Madrid and other Spanish cities on Saturday, demanding affordable housing and stronger protection for tenants.
The demonstrations came a day after Spain’s parliament rejected government-backed measures aimed at providing relief to renters, deepening pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority government.
The protests were triggered by the September 23 eviction of 87-year-old pensioner Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment, where she had lived for more than 70 years.
Protesters Demand Affordable Housing
Authorities estimated that about 70,000 people joined Saturday’s demonstration in Madrid, while organisers claimed the turnout reached 500,000.
Hundreds of protesters have also occupied a tent city in central Madrid for about a week, demanding government action over rising housing costs.
Marcos Sainz, a 26-year-old librarian, told AFP that he previously shared a two-bedroom apartment with friends for €900 a month. He said a one-bedroom apartment can now cost around €1,000 monthly, roughly half the median salary in Madrid.
Javier, a 31-year-old solar panel installer, said protesters were demanding “a fundamental right: decent housing, stability and conditions allowing us to construct a decent life project”.
He said he spends half of his salary on a small room.
Sanchez Housing Measures Rejected
Sanchez’s left-wing coalition had proposed measures including automatic renewal of tenancy contracts and tighter restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants.
However, lawmakers rejected the proposals on Friday after Catalan separatist party Junts voted against them.
Junts joined the opposition Popular Party and Vox in defeating the measures.
The parliamentary setback has raised fresh questions over whether Sanchez’s minority government can remain in office until the next scheduled general election in 2027.
Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo urged Sanchez to call an early election, arguing that the prime minister no longer had sufficient political backing.
Housing Costs Fuel Growing Anger
Housing has remained a major concern in Spain as demand continues to outpace supply in many areas.
According to real estate website Idealista, average rents in Spain have nearly doubled over the past decade, while asking prices for homes have increased by about 90 per cent.
Abascal’s eviction became a rallying point for housing campaigners after her apartment was acquired by an investment company that sought to increase her rent by 275 per cent, according to campaigners.
The backlash eventually resulted in an agreement allowing Abascal to return to the apartment at a lower rent.
Tenants’ Union Calls For General Strike
Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, said the protests represented a new wave of grassroots mobilisation.
She said the union would continue pushing for stronger housing protections and repeated its call for a general strike.
The demonstrations come amid broader political pressure on Sanchez, with recent opinion polls generally showing the opposition Popular Party ahead of the governing Socialists, according to AFP.
