Sánchez calls snap general election for November 29 after housing decrees collapse

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap general election for November 29, cutting short a legislature that had been scheduled to run until 2027.

Sánchez announced the dissolution of the Cortes in a Monday morning institutional declaration on the steps of Moncloa Palace, after informing the head of state, state broadcaster RTVE reported. The address had been announced for 9am (0700 GMT); a government spokesperson had declined to confirm its nature ahead of time, Reuters reported.

The announcement follows what Moncloa described as a weekend of “reflection” after Friday’s parliamentary defeat. The decrees, which included strengthened protection against evictions and restrictions on speculative purchases of homes, were defeated after Junts — the Catalan separatist party whose votes Sánchez had relied on since 2023 — joined the conservative Popular Party and Vox in voting against both measures.

The election will cut short the term of a Socialist prime minister who has been in office since 2018 and has never been able to pass a national budget. If the timetable proceeds as expected, the decree dissolving parliament will be published on Tuesday, with the 54-day period required by electoral law leading to a vote on November 29.

The housing crisis has become an increasingly potent political issue, with tens of thousands of protesters taking to the streets last week and a camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol becoming a symbol of anger over rents, evictions and the difficulty of buying a home.