Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election for November 29, 2026, cutting his parliamentary term short by six months following nationwide protests over housing affordability. The political gamble followed the death of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal after a high-profile eviction in Madrid.
Madrid Eviction Claims 87-Year-Old Tenant María del Carmen Abascal
Government figures show that 26% of Spanish renters spend an average of 40% of their income on rent and utilities, compared with a European Union average of 18% stated by housing ministries. María del Carmen Abascal, widely known as Maricarmen, lived for more than seven decades in a sixth-floor apartment at 46 Alcalde Sainz de Baranda Street in Madrid’s Retiro district.
Her father originally rented the home in 1956. After a private investment firm acquired the building, the new owners sought to increase her rent from €500 per month to €2,650, later reducing the figure to €1,650. With a monthly pension of €1,350, Abascal could not afford the new rates according to the tenants union.
Following three suspended attempts, police and social workers carried her out on a stretcher during a fourth enforcement on September 23, 2026. She was taken to Gregorio Marañón Hospital, where she died on Wednesday, October 7, at age 87, just weeks before she would have turned 88 and days before she was going to sign a new lease to move back into her home.
Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, noted that everyone had assumed the lease was watertight and perfectly valid before the firm stepped in, pointing out that the legal fight captured worldwide attention.
Nationwide Protests Erupt After Eviction Death
Demonstrators marched with slogans reading Not even one more Maricarmen!
and chanted Maricarmen lives, the fight goes on!
in front of the Spanish Parliament noted by correspondents on the scene. Abascal’s death galvanized tenant unions and younger citizens, triggering massive demonstrations across Madrid and other Spanish cities.
Protesters established an encampment in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square documented by international news agencies.
The Madrid Tenants Union described her passing as a turning point in the history of the country, while young protesters voiced deep frustration over high housing costs preventing home ownership.
“Maricarmen’s case, which captured media attention and traveled around the world, leaves us the image of the shameful violence of these types of evictions and the impact they can have on people’s health.”
Duro, lawyer representing Abascal
Sánchez Calls Snap Election Following Housing Crisis Flashpoint
On October 5, 2026, Sánchez announced a snap general election for November 29, 2026 confirmed in government filings. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez subsequently dissolved parliament after lawmakers rejected two proposed emergency housing decrees.
A day after calling the vote, the government approved the two decrees with modifications. Sánchez had earlier faced parliamentary setbacks when right-wing and regional parties blocked his legislative agenda.
Polling Shows Overwhelming Support for Housing Intervention
Polling published by Spain’s state center for sociological research found that 76.3% of respondents favored state market intervention to guarantee housing access, while 79% believed housing should be prioritized as a constitutional right indicated in survey data.
Public data also indicates that government-owned rental units account for less than two percent of available inventory in the country, contrasting sharply with an eight percent European Union average. Real estate data further showed that average rental prices climbed from 8.20 euros in 2016 to 15.10 euros this year.
Political Opposition and Party Divisions Over the Election
Conservative opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo offered condolences for Abascal while emphasizing respect in the wake of her passing, stating that political campaigns and parties must give way to basic human decency when facing a person’s death.
Concurrently, other political figures and the conservative People’s Party engaged in intense debates in local assemblies over the handling of the crisis, with hard-left deputies staging walkouts after conservative representatives declined to hold a minute of silence.