Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced an early general election after his government suffered a bruising legislative defeat last week on emergency measures related to the country’s housing crisis.
The vote will be held on November 29.
In recent weeks, Spaniards have demanded solutions from the government over housing affordability, holding protests in cities across the country after public outrage grew over the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month.
Right-wing opposition parties joined forces to scuttle two emergency decrees introduced by Mr Sanchez’s government that included measures to reduce evictions and real estate speculation.
The setback sparked wide speculation that Mr Sanchez would move up a national election that would have otherwise taken place next year — and seize on his base’s anger over the rejected housing measures.
In an address to the nation, Mr Sanchez argued that a broader progressive coalition in parliament would allow Spaniards to tackle the biggest issues facing their country today.
“The time has come, therefore, for the Spanish people to decide what future you want for yourselves and for your country,” Mr Sanchez said.
“Whether you wish to join that far-right wave — which rolls back progress wherever it governs — or whether you want Spain to remain a bastion of openness, social justice, and environmental responsibility. Whether you want our country to move backward or continue moving forward,” he said.
Mr Sanchez, 54, has been Spain’s prime minister since 2018, making him one of Europe’s longest-standing leaders.
He has become one of the leading international progressive heads of government thanks to his defence of migration, his diplomatic efforts to defend Palestinians and his criticism of the American and Israeli war against Iran.
He has also enjoyed one of the fastest growing economies in the developed world in recent years.
But back home, the Spanish leader has been hemmed in by a series of legal cases involving his Socialist party as well as his wife and brother, who both deny wrongdoing.
He has also struggled to account for this summer’s border crossing by tens of thousands of mostly Moroccans into Spain’s North African territory of Ceuta, where a humanitarian crisis remains two months after the initial crisis.
He has led a coalition minority government along with the left-wing junior partner Sumar since 2023. But his reliance on several smaller parties to get anything done has impacted his legislative ability.
Throughout his political career, Mr Sanchez has earned a reputation as a political escape artist capable of winning elections he looked set to lose.
Speculation around whether he would call a snap election centred on the momentum that his party may now have around affordability issues, while the opposition Popular Party — which holds the most seats in parliament already — is likely to define the contest around corruption and the ruling government’s mismanagement of the Ceuta crisis.
“Sanchez is choosing this moment because it is arguably the best time to do so, given that the issue of housing frames the electoral conflict or debate in terms that are highly favourable to (his party’s) position,” said Oriol Bartomeus, a professor of political science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
“Sanchez can frame the election — or has realised he can frame it — in very classic left-versus-right terms.”
The Socialist leader will face Popular Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, who aims to take control of the government.
“At last, the Spanish people will decide,” Mr Feijoo said on Monday after the announcement of the snap election. “These are not elections like previous ones in our democracy. This is about Spain defeating Sanchez and what he represents.”
The formal dissolution of parliament will need to be approved by the cabinet.
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