Housing decrees rejected in Congress, fueling talk of an early election

On Friday, the Congress rejected both housing decrees that the government had rushed through earlier in the week, with Junts’ seven MPs voting alongside PP, Vox and UPN. The defeated package contained measures such as safeguards against evictions of vulnerable people and a two-year extension of rental contracts, which the Ministry of Consumption said would have affected millions of tenants. PSOE ministers now suggest the parliamentary stalemate could be used to argue for an early general election, a view echoed by a senior minister.

Junts, rejecting the government’s approach, presented a counter-proposal decree aimed at curbing investment funds and protecting families. The opposition Sumar alliance, still without a unified electoral brand, is meeting to discuss possible election strategies following the vote. The outcome leaves the government without its flagship housing initiative and intensifies debate over the feasibility of a progressive parliamentary majority.