Spain’s parliament rejected two government decrees intended to address the country’s housing affordability crisis, dealing a major legislative setback to the progressive government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, the Associated Press reported.
The measures were rejected after Catalan separatist party Junts said it would vote against them, joining opposition from the centre-right Popular Party and far-right Vox. One decree included measures to halt evictions of vulnerable people, curb property speculation and provide tax incentives for renting. The other would have made residential leases automatically renewable by tenants.
The votes took place after a five-hour debate and as protesters gathered outside parliament to demand support for renters. Protesters jeered the result, while people in the chamber’s public gallery shouted, “Vulture funds govern the congress.”
The renters association Sindicato de Inquilinas said it was calling for more protests on Saturday and pushing for a general strike. The demonstrations followed the televised eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid, which sparked protests and a camp-in in the capital’s main square.
The company that evicted Abascal later said she could return to the apartment after public and political pressure. Her lawyer said Abascal, who has been in hospital since being removed from her home on a stretcher, was happy to know she would be going home.
The Associated Press reported that average rents in Spain have almost doubled over the past 10 years. The parliamentary defeat has also sparked speculation that Sanchez could consider calling elections earlier than planned.
