Standfirst: Demonstrations took place across Spain after Congress rejected two government housing decrees intended to strengthen tenant protections. Organisers reported around 500,000 participants in Madrid, while authorities estimated the capital’s turnout at about 70,000.
Spain’s housing crisis has triggered large demonstrations in Madrid and other cities, with campaigners demanding lower rents, stronger security for tenants and action against speculative property investment. The protests followed the defeat of two housing measures in Congress and could lead to negotiations over a nationwide general strike.
Housing protests follow defeat of two decrees
The demonstrations began one day after Spain’s Congress rejected two government decrees promoted as responses to pressure in the rental and housing markets. The first measure received 172 votes in favour and 178 against, while the second was defeated by 166 votes to 184.
The measures were opposed by the People’s Party, Vox and UPN. Junts also declined to support the government, leaving the decrees without the backing needed to pass. Their defeat has intensified criticism from housing organisations, which say political decisions are failing to reflect the difficulties faced by tenants.
In Madrid, organisers claimed that approximately 500,000 people joined the protest. Authorities gave a substantially lower estimate of about 70,000. The march remained peaceful under a significant police presence, while demonstrators gathered around Puerta del Sol, where activists have maintained a camp for roughly a week.
What housing campaigners are demanding
The Tenants’ Union, which is coordinating the mobilisation, has called for far-reaching changes to Spain’s housing system. Its demands include:
- A 50% reduction in rents
- Open-ended rental contracts
- The expropriation of homes owned by investment funds described by campaigners as “vulture funds”
- Greater protection against rent increases and eviction
Protesters carried signs calling for a general strike and chanted slogans opposing what they describe as rentierism. The Tenants’ Union said there was a serious gap between public demands and the positions taken by political parties in parliament.
No date has been set for a general strike. Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the union, said discussions with other organisations were continuing and that campaigners wanted any action to be significant. Whether a strike proceeds will depend on coordination among unions and housing groups, as well as the legal and political response.
Protests reported across Spain
The mobilisation extended well beyond Madrid. In Valencia, demonstrators marched towards the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, where a property investment conference was taking place. The protest became tense after some participants removed barriers and breached a police cordon. Objects were thrown at officers, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Several people reached the upper part of the building.
Other demonstrations were reported in:
- Donostia, where a protest entered its second consecutive day
- Cádiz, where campaigners highlighted local rent and property prices
- Barcelona, where activists said their camp would remain indefinitely
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Tenerife
- Teruel, where a further demonstration was planned for Sunday
In Cádiz, organisers said average rent was about €900 and that purchasing a home could cost around €200,000. Those figures were cited by campaigners during the demonstration and were not presented as national housing statistics.
The political dispute in Madrid
The rejection of the decrees has also deepened tensions between Spain’s government and opposition parties. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez ended his parliamentary speech with a warning that political decisions would be judged by history. Opposition parties renewed their call for elections, while some figures within the governing Socialist Party were also reported to be considering that possibility.
However, the parliamentary defeat does not itself trigger an election. The decision to call an early vote rests with the prime minister and would involve Spain’s constitutional procedures. The immediate focus is likely to remain on whether the government can negotiate a new housing package and secure sufficient parliamentary support.
Junts argued that the rejected texts were poorly drafted and could have discouraged property sales. The Socialist Party responded that the proposals already reflected changes sought by the Catalan party. Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz blamed opposition leaders for the failure, while People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said he would seek a legal solution to prevent another period without a budget.
Why the Madrid camp became a symbol
The protest movement gained momentum after the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who had lived in her home for around seven decades. Housing campaigners said an investment company had purchased the property and sought to increase her rent by 275%. Following public criticism, the new owners agreed to allow her to return at a low rent.
Her case has become a powerful example for campaigners who argue that older tenants and lower-income households are particularly exposed to sharp rent increases and displacement. The camp in Puerta del Sol reached its seventh night, with around 2,000 people reported to be staying there.
What happens next?
The immediate question is whether Spain’s housing movement can turn the protests into coordinated industrial action. Talks between the Tenants’ Union and other organisations are continuing, but no general strike has yet been called.
The government must also decide whether to revise and reintroduce housing measures, negotiate with Junts and other parliamentary groups, or pursue a different legislative route. Any new proposal would need to reflect Spain’s parliamentary arithmetic and could face further scrutiny from opposition parties and housing organisations.
For tenants, landlords and property investors, the political uncertainty leaves the status of future protections unclear. The rejected decrees cannot deliver the proposed changes in their defeated form, so any new rights or restrictions would require a fresh legislative decision.
Conclusion
Spain’s housing protests show the depth of frustration over rents, evictions and access to affordable homes. The rejection of the government’s two decrees has not resolved the dispute; instead, it has increased pressure on Pedro Sánchez’s government to negotiate a new approach while campaigners consider a general strike. For now, Spain’s housing policy remains politically unsettled, with the next major step depending on parliamentary negotiations and the organisers’ decision on further action.
