Junts has delivered an ultimatum to Pedro Sánchez, vowing to block two key housing decrees unless the government withdraws them and drafts new legislation. The standoff exposes deep divisions over how to address Spain’s housing crisis and protect vulnerable tenants.
Late Thursday, Junts leaders met in emergency session. They made a decision that could upend Spain’s housing reforms. The party told Pedro Sánchez they will vote down both government housing decrees unless the executive pulls them before Friday’s Congress vote. The standoff is now public. Junts, led by Carles Puigdemont, has raised the stakes. The government’s push for urgent housing changes is on the line.
This fight started after the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal. That case set off a storm of public anger and calls for stronger tenant protections. Junts says the government’s decrees will do more harm than good. They warn the rules will shrink the rental supply, push up prices, and make it harder for low-income families to find a place to live. The party also says the government has failed to stop “vulture funds” from buying up homes and forcing out vulnerable tenants. According to official government materials, the two decrees were approved and sent to Congress for an emergency vote on October 2, 2026. One decree targets anti-eviction steps and extends the "social shield" until December 31, 2030. The other aims at speculative buying and sets limits on investment funds.
The government’s proposed ban on property acquisitions by investment funds is temporary, set to expire on December 31, 2028, which has become a central point of contention for Junts.
Junts leaders have not held back. They say the government’s plan “will provoke the opposite effect to what is intended.” They also criticize the lack of support for at-risk tenants who need help with rent. Junts objects to a rule that lets tenants buy their homes before they pass to heirs. The party calls this “de facto expropriation of family savings built over three generations.”
Earlier this week, Junts sounded hopeful about a deal. They had clear demands: stop evictions from homes owned by vulture funds, ban these funds from buying new properties, and give a 15% tax break on rent and home purchases up to €11,630 a year. The government’s decrees did not meet these demands. Instead of a permanent ban, the government offered only a temporary block on vulture fund purchases until the end of 2028. The tax breaks were too limited, according to Junts. Several independent Spanish outlets report that Moncloa ties the new measures directly to the Maricarmen case. Vice President Yolanda Díaz says the goal is to stop similar evictions in the future.
Junts is under pressure from all sides. Catalan business leaders worry about the economic fallout. Party spokesperson Míriam Nogueras has tried to calm small and medium-sized businesses. She says Junts will not give in to street protests or turn its back on property owners. Privately, party sources are blunt. They say they are ready to “get burned to defend Catalan families and property owners.” They accuse the government of misleading the public about its housing policies.
Independent Spanish media note that the outcome of the vote on the housing decrees may hinge on the positions of Junts, PNV, Coalición Canaria, and Podemos. If the government fails to secure enough support, both decrees could be blocked or one could fall separately, posing a significant political risk for Sánchez.
Spain’s housing crisis is not letting up. The fight over tenant protections and market rules has already sparked big protests. In Madrid, demonstrators camped out in Puerta del Sol, demanding urgent action. The tension is real.
Now Junts wants Sánchez’s government to scrap the current decrees and come up with new housing rules at the next Council of Ministers. The fate of the decrees is uncertain. So is the government’s credibility on housing. Junts is ready to sink the proposals. That could force Sánchez to change course or risk defeat in Congress. In this climate, any plan that ignores both tenant needs and property owner worries will not last. The next move belongs to the government. The stakes are high.
