Government talks stall on housing decree as protesters camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol

As the Council of Ministers convenes, Sumar says talks with the PSOE have dragged on all night and no consensus has been reached on the proposed housing decree. The latest draft, sent by the junior coalition partner, seeks to curb speculation by regulating short-term and room rentals, instituting automatic renewal of rental contracts and bolstering protections against evictions. Junts has threatened to pull out of the agreement, claiming the government is abandoning recently reached understandings.

Protesters have kept a multi-night camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, while roughly twenty activists have erected tents in Sevilla’s Plaza de la Encarnación in solidarity, both movements invoking the case of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old woman recently evicted in Madrid. Sumar’s spokesperson Verónica Barbero warned that a half-measures decree would be unacceptable, and Health Minister Mónica García emphasized that fiscal cuts and temporary lease extensions are insufficient. The decree must be approved by Congress within weeks, but its final shape remains uncertain as parties clash over key provisions.