Prime minister Pedro Sánchez has called an early general election for 29 November after the Spanish parliament rejected two government decrees intended to address the country’s housing crisis. His Socialist Party governs with the Sumar alliance but lacks a parliamentary majority, leaving it dependent on support from smaller parties. Housing affordability has become a major public concern, with tens of thousands demonstrating after the eviction of an 87-year-old Madrid woman whose rent had risen sharply. The rejected measures included extended protection against evictions for vulnerable tenants, longer rental contracts, and restrictions affecting tourist accommodation and investment funds. Opposition parties argued that greater housing construction, rather than increased regulation, was needed. Sánchez, who has served as prime minister since 2018, said he was seeking broader parliamentary support to pursue further reforms, while acknowledging shortcomings in his government’s record. His leadership has been marred by several corruption scandals in recent months, and by criticism of his handling of the Ceuta migrant crisis in August (see).