Eviction of elderly tenant sparks nationwide housing protests and political turmoil in Spain

María del Carmen Abascal Martín, who had lived in the same building for decades, was evicted on 23 September after a court order signed by the same judge who had previously ruled in her favor. She was taken to the Gregorio Marañón hospital, where she died eight days later. The forced removal triggered tens of thousands of people to march through central Madrid and set up a large tent camp at Puerta del Sol, demanding an end to evictions and affordable-housing measures.

In response, the coalition government hurriedly drafted two decrees—one to prohibit evictions until 2030 and another to cap rent growth—but both were rejected by the opposition in the Congress. The fallout has spurred plans for a nationwide housing strike and intensified debate over Spain’s rental market.