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How an 87-Year-Old Woman's Eviction Forced Spain PM to Call Snap Elections
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Firstpost•05-10-2026, 16:48
How an 87-Year-Old Woman's Eviction Forced Spain PM to Call Snap Elections
- •An 87-year-old disabled woman named María del Carmen Abascal was evicted from her Madrid home of over seven decades after rent skyrocketed following an investment firm purchase.
- •The viral eviction sparked massive nationwide protests and clashes with police, exposing a severe housing crisis marked by surging rents and a growing deficit of homes across Spain.
- •Spain's parliament rejected emergency housing decrees proposed by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority government, which aimed to curb speculation, protect vulnerable tenants, and freeze or regulate rents.
- •Following the legislative defeat and mounting public outrage, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez took a major political gamble by calling snap general elections for November 29 to seek a stronger progressive majority.
Key Questions Answered
Following intense public protests over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman and a broader housing crisis, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap election for November 29 to seek a renewed and broader progressive majority in parliament.
María del Carmen Abascal was forced out of her Retiro neighbourhood home after an investment firm purchased the property in 2018 and increased her rent from €500 to €1,650, which she failed to pay.
Spain's parliament shot down two government decrees that sought to halt evictions of vulnerable people, restrict short-term leases, incentivize renting, and mandate the automatic renewal of rental contracts.
