Spain's Sanchez Calls Snap Election for November 29 After Parliament Kills Housing Bills

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez dissolved parliament on Monday and called a snap election for November 29, moving to seek a fresh mandate after his government suffered a decisive legislative defeat on emergency housing measures. Parliament rejected two housing decrees last week that Sanchez's minority government had put forward in an attempt to address a deepening affordability crisis driven by unaffordable rents and evictions, most visibly symbolized by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid.

The parliamentary defeat came as tens of thousands of Spaniards marched in cities across the country over the weekend, demanding government action. Police fired rubber bullets in Madrid after far-right activists attempted to confront demonstrators camped at Puerta del Sol, the capital's central square.

Sanchez has framed the election as an opportunity to translate public anger over housing into a clearer parliamentary majority, with analysts suggesting he is betting that the opposition's rejection of the housing bills can be used to mobilize voters on his behalf. The call for early elections also comes amid a broader set of pressures on the government, including a migration crisis and several corruption scandals touching members of Sanchez's inner circle.