When footage of 87-year-old Maricarmen being carried out of her home on a stretcher aired across Spain, the government could not look away. She had lived in the house for more than seventy years. Her eviction became a national flashpoint, exposing the depth of Spain’s housing crisis and how long politicians have allowed it to persist.
Maricarmen’s story is not an isolated case. Some reports cite 4,000 evictions in the first quarter of this year. Reuters has reported that official sources have yet to confirm the figure. But no one disputes the scale of the problem or the wave of protests. Seeing an elderly woman forced from her lifelong home brought back memories of the last financial crisis, when mass evictions filled the news and anger spilled into the streets. AFP and Spanish media reported that Maricarmen’s rent was set to rise from around 500 euros to 2,650 euros per month, a 275% increase before her eviction.
The government now calls Maricarmen’s case a “turning point.” Ministers face heavy pressure to act quickly. Demands are coming from inside and outside the ruling coalition. Sumar and other left-wing groups have drawn a line: pass a new housing decree at the next cabinet meeting, or risk protests turning against the government instead of landlords.
Ada Colau, who led anti-eviction protests before becoming mayor of Barcelona, says Sumar should leave the coalition if the PSOE does not act. She warns against becoming “accomplices” to what she calls the “cowardice of the PSOE.” Her message is blunt: doing nothing is no longer an option.
Behind closed doors, the government is scrambling to break the deadlock that has blocked earlier efforts to stop evictions and control rent hikes. The last housing decree failed after PP, Vox and Junts voted it down, leaving thousands at risk. Now Junts says it is open to talks, while Sumar is threatening to step up pressure.
Reuters and other international outlets reported that Maricarmen’s eviction on September 23, 2026, followed years of legal dispute with the property owner, an investment fund. The event sparked protests in Madrid and solidarity demonstrations in other Spanish cities, underscoring the housing crisis’s broad impact.
Sumar’s demands are clear. The party wants to freeze and extend current rents, curb tourist apartments and seasonal rentals, and protect tenants from “vulture funds,” large investment groups that own big chunks of housing. Its plan to stop evictions focuses on properties owned by major investors, not small landlords. That distinction is now central to the talks.
Junts, by contrast, wants tax breaks for small landlords and savings accounts to help buyers. Some on the left criticize these proposals. The government is urging all parties, including the PP, to rethink their positions and work together. It warns that the crisis is too urgent for anyone to dig in their heels.
With the deadline approaching, Sumar says the cabinet must approve the decree “no matter what” at its next meeting. If Junts blocks the law, Sumar is ready to call on the public to force a change. The government is racing to prepare the decree for a vote. Some sources say the pressure could push the PSOE to accept measures it once resisted.
Sumar is also calling for the expropriation of Maricarmen’s old home, a demand backed by ministers such as Yolanda Díaz. The political fallout has sparked a fresh round of blame between Sumar and the PSOE. Figures such as Óscar Puente accuse their coalition partners of helping the right. “No one is more left-wing than me,” he shot back, underscoring the depth of the split.
For many, Maricarmen’s case represents something bigger. As reported in a previous report, her eviction has exposed rifts inside the government and among its allies. Each side blames the other for failing to protect people from losing their homes.
Spain’s housing crisis is not new. But after eight years with Pedro Sánchez in charge, many say the government has failed to bring real relief. Millions now face a grim reality. The standoff is testing whether Spain’s leaders can tackle the country’s most urgent social problem, or whether Maricarmen’s eviction will become another number in a crisis that persists.
