Sánchez ramps up decree spree to boost PSOE image ahead of election
Pedro Sánchez is using a flurry of cabinet decrees on housing, wages, pensions and other issues to showcase his government’s achievements before the upcoming vote.
Facing a tight electoral calendar, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has turned the cabinet into a rapid-response platform, rolling out decrees on housing, a record increase in the minimum wage, pension reforms and expanded judicial resources. The strategy includes a new regulatory framework for private universities after a Supreme Court reversal and a special aid package for Ceuta announced by Minister Arcadi España. Sánchez hopes the timing will allow these initiatives to be presented as concrete successes during the campaign, while also shifting blame to opposition parties if any proposals stall.
The approach highlights the government's reliance on executive tools to compensate for limited legislative support in the Diputación Permanente. Critics note recent controversies surrounding housing officials, but the administration presses ahead to fill its electoral showcase.
Why it matters
The decree push illustrates how the ruling party is shaping policy and public perception in the crucial weeks before the national election.
How this story developed
- Oct 5 Spain's housing crisis fuels massive protests and pushes early elections
- Oct 8 The Sánchez government delivered two housing decree‑laws to the Permanent Deputation for review.
- Oct 13 Vélez Viola’s international holdings include two firms in Panama and a domestic portfolio managed through Nest Capital Homes, which rents out a minimum of 30 apartments and studios. The family business also has ties to Argentina and past involvement in a company previously led by his father, José Luis Vélez Burrell. Recent government measures target large landlords, while the couple defends the stricter rules despite their own interests. Eviction proceedings have been recorded against several of the rental units. Montse Mínguez has framed criticism of the business as a personal attack.
- Oct 16 The tenant union announced a nationwide strike aimed at the PSOE over the partner’s rental holdings.
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