Pedro Sánchez has set Spain on the path to early general elections by dissolving the Cortes. The move, grounded in the Spanish Constitution, hands the decision to voters and reshapes the country’s legislative cycle.
Spain is heading to early general elections on Sunday, 29 November 2026, after Pedro Sánchez dissolved the Cortes. His government lost support for two basic housing decrees, prompting the move. Moncloa said in an official statement that Sánchez called an emergency Council of Ministers meeting to formalize the dissolution and set the election date, as Spanish electoral law requires.
The vote is scheduled for the 54th day after publication of the dissolution decree. The Spanish Constitution gives the executive power to end the legislature’s term early. The Cortes Generales, made up of the Senate and the Congress of Deputies, hold Spain’s legislative power and oversee the government. Dissolving them cuts their term short and triggers new elections. Spanish and international media have cited the failed housing decrees as the basic cause.
Article 115 of the 1978 Constitution sets out the rules. The President of the Government can propose dissolving either chamber or both after consulting the Council of Ministers and accepting full responsibility. The King then signs the decree and sets the election date. Dissolution is barred while a censure motion is underway. Another dissolution cannot take place within a year of the previous one, unless no candidate wins the Congress’s confidence after two months of failed investiture votes. Official Spanish sources say these rules are meant to prevent abuse and maintain stability.
The King’s role is formal: he signs the decree but does not make the decision. The government has the power to propose dissolution, making it a political tool, not a royal one. Official and media sources say the King enacts the government’s proposal and does not decide when parliament ends.
Sánchez chose his timing deliberately. Losing the housing decrees left his government without a majority, echoing earlier breakdowns in party alliances, Spanish media have reported. The decision came amid mounting public discontent and widespread protests over housing affordability. International media reports said analysts saw the failure of the decrees as increasing pressure on the government to act swiftly. By dissolving the Cortes, Sánchez puts the country’s direction in voters’ hands. International reports said the government would meet again that Monday to complete the dissolution and begin the campaign.
For voters, the move means a short campaign and another chance to decide Spain’s future. For lawmakers, it ends their term and halts all pending laws. The power to dissolve the Cortes is impressive but tightly controlled by law, and the coming election will shape the next government and the tone of Spanish politics for years.
