Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a snap general election on Monday, 5 October 2026, to be held on Sunday, 29 November. The announcement comes three days after his minority government's emergency housing legislation was voted down by right-wing parties.
Sánchez, who has been in office since 2018, made the decision public during a televised address. The rejected legislation included measures such as a ban on evictions until 2030 and the regulation of temporary and room lettings, aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis.
The conservative People's party (PP), the far-right Vox party, and the right-wing Catalan pro-independence party Junts voted against the decrees in congress on Friday. The PP stated its belief that construction, rather than regulation, is the best approach to the housing crisis.
The rejection of the decrees followed public anger over housing costs, which intensified after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. Large demonstrations were held across Spain over the weekend, with authorities reporting 70,000 participants in a Madrid protest on Saturday.