Spain’s government is racing to secure Junts’ support for a new antieviction decree after the forced removal of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal triggered nationwide protests. Junts demands sweeping tax relief on rent and home purchases as a condition for backing the plan.
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was forced out of her Madrid home after living there for seventy years. The eviction set off protests across Spain. Streets filled with anger. The government of Pedro Sánchez now faces a political storm. Junts holds the deciding vote on any new antieviction law.
Carles Puigdemont and his Junts party have drawn a line. They will not back the so-called 'decreto Maricarmen' unless the government agrees to major tax breaks for renters and homebuyers. Junts wants a 15% personal income tax (IRPF) deduction for main residence rentals, with a yearly cap of 11,630 euros. They also demand similar relief for people with mortgages. The party is pushing for tax-free home sales for seniors over 65 who move into care homes. Another demand: families should be able to cancel their mortgage if the bank sells the loan at a loss to another lender.
Junts has also proposed reinstating housing savings accounts, aiming to revive incentives for first-time homebuyers to accumulate savings with tax benefits.
These ideas were once off-limits for the PSOE and Sumar. Now, the government is reviewing them fast. Officials are trying to strike a deal with Junts before the next Council of Ministers meeting. They want to avoid another failed extension like the one in April. Junts sources say the PSOE is open to suspending evictions from homes owned by investment funds. There is also talk of banning these funds from buying more properties in Spain. A government counteroffer is expected soon. Time is short.
Pressure is coming from more than just politicians. Tenant unions, including the Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas (CSI), say the decree must pass now. They call the situation "extreme" and want deep changes. Their demands go further than Junts: freeze current rents, extend leases, regulate seasonal and room rentals, and make all contracts indefinite. Activists are urging big unions CCOO and UGT to call a general strike over housing and living costs if the government stalls.
Sumar’s spokesperson, Ernest Urtasun, says the party is ready to discuss Junts’ tax proposals. He admits the housing crisis is urgent. The government’s sudden shift shows how much pressure has built up—both in parliament and on the streets. Old positions are falling away. The mood is tense.
According to several Spanish media reports, the 15% tax deduction proposed by Junts would only apply to taxpayers with a taxable base not exceeding 33,007.20 euros, targeting relief at lower and middle-income renters and buyers.
The next cabinet meeting is set for Tuesday. Everything hangs on whether Sánchez can meet Junts’ tax demands and answer the public’s call for real change. The government’s credibility is on the line. So is its hold on power. Spain’s housing policy looks fragile. Coalition deals and street protests now set the rules.
