Housing crisis drives Pedro Sánchez to call early election in Spain

The forced removal of Maricarmen Abascal has triggered Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to move up the date of Spain's general election, turning the vote into a de-facto referendum on his leadership. Sánchez’s first rally highlighted Spain's robust economic performance, claiming higher employment and a decline in inequality thanks to pension and minimum-wage increases. He painted his opponents as “genocidal, tyrannical, technocratic” forces and warned of an elite conspiracy against him.

While the decision faces challenges such as the unresolved Ceuta situation and a disunited left that has yet to name a candidate, Sánchez believes the housing issue offers a decisive advantage. He cites successful left-wing housing campaigns in New York and Berlin as precedents. The move promises a highly polarized campaign, with the right mobilizing fiercely against Sánchez, whose popularity among them is at an all-time low.