87‑Year‑Old Tenant Agrees to Return After Eviction That Sparked Large Protests

Overview

• Police executed a judicial eviction of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid flat she had rented since 1956 and she was taken to hospital, images of the removal fueling nationwide protests and a sleeping protest camp in Puerta del Sol.
• After a four‑hour mediation led by the Madrid municipality, Abascal reached an agreement to return under an eight‑year contract that limits rent to 30% of her net income and includes municipal housing guarantees, with her return pending hospital discharge.
• The United Nations housing rapporteur publicly criticized the eviction and said the operation put Spain at odds with its international obligations by removing her without an adequate alternative.
• Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that the government is preparing a so‑called 'decreto Maricarmen' to tighten eviction rules and promote lease renewal, but the measure faces uncertain approval because the governing coalition lacks a parliamentary majority.
• The case highlights broader drivers of Spain’s housing crisis: surging rents and sale prices, investor buying and tenant clearances, contested legal treatment of Franco‑era 'old rent' contracts, and more than 25,000 evictions recorded in 2025.