Junts is on the verge of rejecting Spain’s new housing decrees, accusing the government of abandoning small property owners in Catalonia. The party’s leadership will decide its final stance just hours before the crucial vote.
Tempers are running high in Madrid. Junts has put the government on notice just a day before the key vote on Spain’s new housing decrees. The party says the plan puts Catalonia’s small property owners and families at risk. Junts leaders accuse the coalition of breaking its word. They say they are ready to take the political hit if that’s what it takes to defend their voters.
“The Government lies. We are not afraid to get burned defending families and small owners in Catalonia,” party sources told this publication. The message is blunt. Junts’ executive will meet Thursday to make the final call. But insiders say the gap between Junts and the PSOE–Sumar alliance has only grown since the full details of the decrees came out.
One of the housing decrees includes a ban on evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, a measure that has become a focal point in the current debate.
Two demands are at the center of the fight. Junts says the government ignored both: real protection for small landlords and tough action against so-called “vulture funds.” According to Junts, the decree does not shield small owners. It forces them to pay compensation if a rental contract is not renewed. The party also claims the plan does nothing to stop speculative investors. Junts says it handed these demands to Pedro Sánchez weeks ago, before the Maricarmen Abascal eviction crisis exploded across Spain.
At first, Junts sounded hopeful. La Moncloa had outlined the main points of the decrees to the media. That hope vanished fast. Left-wing pressure changed the final text. Junts now says the law “legitimizes squatting” and leaves small owners exposed. Party negotiators argue the so-called ‘Maricarmen decrees’ dump the housing crisis on ordinary Catalan owners instead of the state.
Article 1 of the first decree is a flashpoint. Junts says it would hit almost every Catalan SME in real estate. The rule blocks any company or group—no matter its legal form—that buys property from purchasing homes below 70% of market value until the end of 2028. Most Catalan SMEs have property acquisition in their business purpose. The impact could be huge. Pimec, the main Catalan SME association, has already pushed back. It released a statement blasting the decrees for shrinking the rental supply. Junts’ parliamentary leader Míriam Nogueras repeated that message at the Pimec awards gala in Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi.
According to SpainEnglish, the government’s housing package was approved by the PSOE–Sumar cabinet in late September 2026 amid an acute housing crisis, but its ratification in Congress remains uncertain due to Junts’ demands for stronger protections for small landlords and more targeted restrictions on investment funds. The decrees also propose automatic extension of some rental contracts until summer 2028 and offer incentives for owners who rent at affordable prices.
“We are not afraid to get burned defending families and owners in Catalonia,” Nogueras told the crowd of business leaders. She reminded them that Junts had also fought labor reforms that would have hurt small firms. Nogueras slammed what she called “demagoguery and populism” in the debate. She said Junts would stand alone in Madrid if that’s what it takes to protect Catalan interests. The mood at the event was tense. Salvador Illa, president of the Generalitat, was there too. He did not look comfortable.
Junts’ housing spokesperson Marta Madrenas, who works as a real estate agent, is feeling the heat from her own industry. Many agents and owners have called and messaged her, urging Junts to vote no. They say the decrees will hurt the market.
This fight is just the latest sign of deep cracks in Spain’s coalition over housing. As reported earlier, other parties have accused the PSOE of siding with big landlords and leaving tenants and small owners behind. The government’s approach is under fire.
The vote is close. Junts’ decision could decide the fate of the decrees. It will also show if Catalan interests still have real power in Madrid. Junts is ready to risk political isolation. Unless the government offers real guarantees for small owners and SMEs, the party looks set to walk away. Even if it means standing alone. This could shift the balance in Spain’s housing debate. The coalition’s unity is on the line.
