Juan del Val has sharply criticized the Spanish government's new housing decrees following the eviction of Maricarmen in Madrid. He accuses the PSOE of ignoring the real housing crisis and labels the second decree as 'absolutely perverse.' The measures now await Congress approval.
Juan del Val went straight for the government. On 'El Hormiguero,' the Planeta Prize-winning author called the second housing decree "absolutely perverse." He said the PSOE should not back it.
His anger boiled over after Maricarmen's eviction in Madrid. That case pushed Pedro Sánchez's government to rush out two urgent housing decrees. The new rules aim to boost affordable housing. They freeze evictions until 2030 and put a cap on rent hikes. But del Val sees these moves as empty gestures. According to official statements from Moncloa, the first decree's main point is to extend protections for vulnerable tenants until December 31, 2030. The government calls this a stronger "social shield" to stop more cases like Maricarmen's.
The housing package also introduces strict limits on short-term and room rentals, and extends existing rental contracts expiring by the end of 2028 for two more years.
Del Val says the new rules tip the scales too far for tenants and do nothing to fix Spain's housing mess. He accused the government of ignoring the real crisis. "The problem of housing does not matter at all to the PSOE," he said. He even questioned if the party knows what it stands for. AP reported that 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, forced out of her Madrid home after nearly seventy years, became a symbol of the crisis. Her eviction sparked outrage across Spain.
Del Val also took aim at the government's claim that the decrees are a humanitarian fix. He called that dishonest. In his view, real humanitarian action would mean all sides coming together to find a solution for everyone—left and right. He sees the current plan as a way to stir up street anger, not real change. The government, under fire from coalition partners and the public, says these measures are urgent and needed to protect renters. That message comes straight from official communications.
Now the decrees head to Congress. Their future is up in the air. The debate has put a spotlight back on lawmakers' real estate holdings, as reported earlier, and shown how quick laws rarely solve deep social problems.
Despite being approved by the government, the housing measures still require ratification in Congress, where the ruling coalition lacks a majority. Reuters and AP note that opposition from the Junts party puts the decrees at risk, and their final adoption remains uncertain.
Del Val's words cut through the noise. He sees a government chasing headlines, not results. Spain's housing crisis needs more than slogans and short-term bans. Without real compromise, evictions and emergency decrees will keep coming. Tenants and landlords stay stuck. Politicians keep arguing. Nothing changes.
