Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Monday, 5 October, that Spain would hold an early general election on 29 November, seeking stronger parliamentary support after a defeat over measures intended to address the country’s housing crisis.
Speaking at the Moncloa government headquarters in Madrid, Sánchez said he had informed the head of state and would convene an extraordinary cabinet meeting that morning to begin dissolving Parliament and calling the election.
In his official statement, he argued that his government needed renewed and broader public backing to pursue outstanding reforms.
Housing defeat triggers the announcement
The decision followed Parliament’s rejection on Friday, 2 October, of two government housing decrees.
According to RTVE, the conservative People’s Party, far-right Vox and Catalan party Junts voted against the measures. The proposals included extending a suspension of evictions until 2030.
The government had put forward the measures following public mobilisation over housing, including protests after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. Sánchez spent the weekend consulting close advisers before announcing his decision.
A bid for a stronger majority
Sánchez acknowledged dissatisfaction among some supporters and said his government had made mistakes and fallen short of some of its objectives.
He identified inequality, public services and access to housing as areas requiring further action. His appeal was for a broader progressive parliamentary majority capable of advancing those reforms.
The speech also criticised opposition parties and presented the election as a choice between continuing his government’s programme and a possible administration involving the far right. Those were Sánchez’s campaign arguments, rather than established predictions about the result.
An uncertain electoral outcome
The announcement carries political risk. Reuters reported that Sánchez’s Socialist Party was trailing in opinion polls, despite support for its recent housing proposals.
The vote will test whether public concern over housing translates into stronger backing for his government or strengthens its opponents. The announced polling date is 29 November; the cabinet and formal election procedures follow the prime minister’s declaration.
