Overview
- On Friday, the Congress of Deputies voted down two emergency decrees that would have extended eviction protections, introduced automatic lease renewals and limited purchases by real-estate investment funds.
- The measures failed after the Partido Popular, Vox and the Catalan party Junts voted against them, leaving Sánchez’s coalition without the votes needed for validation.
- Tens of thousands of people marched in Madrid and other cities and protest camps at Puerta del Sol persisted following the vote, with the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal remaining a rallying symbol.
- Because the decrees required parliamentary ratification to take effect, the government cannot implement the protections and curbs without new legislation, leaving an estimated shortfall of about 700,000 homes unaddressed.
- The parliamentary defeat weakens Sánchez politically, increases pressure to call an early national election and creates uncertainty for renters, landlords and investors over near-term housing policy.