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 calls the second decree “absolutely perverse.” The measures now await Congress approval.
On El Hormiguero, Planeta Prize-winning author Juan del Val called the second housing decree “absolutely perverse” and said the PSOE should not back it. His criticism came after Maricarmen's eviction in Madrid.
The case prompted Pedro Sánchez's government to issue two urgent housing decrees aimed at boosting affordable housing. The new rules freeze evictions until 2030 and cap rent increases. The first decree extends protections for vulnerable tenants until December 31, 2030, a measure the government describes as a stronger “social shield” to prevent more cases like Maricarmen's. The package also imposes strict limits on short-term and room rentals, and extends by two years rental contracts expiring by the end of 2028, Reuters reported.
Del Val says the new rules tip the scales too far toward tenants and do nothing to fix Spain's housing crisis. He accused the government of ignoring the real problem. “The problem of housing does not matter at all to the PSOE,” he said, questioning whether the party knows what it stands for. The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, forced out of her Madrid home after nearly seventy years, made her a symbol of the crisis and sparked outrage across Spain, AP reported.
Del Val also criticized the government's claim that the decrees are a humanitarian fix, calling it dishonest. In his view, genuine humanitarian action would require left and right to come together and find a solution for everyone. He sees the plan as a way to stir up street anger instead of bringing real change. Under fire from coalition partners and the public, the government says the measures are urgent and needed to protect renters, a position set out in official communications.
The decrees now go to Congress, where the ruling coalition lacks a majority. Their future is uncertain: Junts opposes them, putting their adoption at risk, Reuters and AP reported. The debate has also put lawmakers' real estate holdings back in the spotlight, as reported earlier, and shown how quickly passed laws rarely solve deep social problems.
Spain's housing crisis needs more than slogans and short-term bans. Without real compromise, evictions and emergency decrees will keep coming.
