Spain's Partido Popular says the housing package is too weak and too vague. The opposition also warns that €2.5bn in European recovery funds could be lost if promised reforms are not completed.
The Cabinet approved the double housing decree known as the 'decreto Maricarmen' before the full texts were available to the opposition. It also extended fuel discounts linked to the war in Iran. The PP has not said how it will vote when Congress considers the measures on Friday.
Juan Bravo and Alberto Nadal say the Government gave Parliament too little information for proper scrutiny. They claim Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez admitted at a press conference that she did not yet have the definitive text. Moncloa says Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has urged political parties to show "common sense and responsibility" and back the emergency housing package.
The case that gave the package its name involved the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen. Government statements and European media reports presented the incident as a trigger for accelerating the measures amid public pressure over housing insecurity.
The objection is not just about timing. The PP says it cannot judge key provisions because the Government has not clearly defined terms such as "vulture fund" and "speculative purchase".
Those definitions matter. The proposal would block such funds from buying homes until 2028. It would extend protection against evictions until 2030. Existing rental contracts would run until 2028. The Government says the package would protect vulnerable households and curb speculation in the housing market.
That dispute matters. The PNV had already raised concerns about the treatment of small landlords in an earlier housing report. The PP's current objection is narrower. It focuses on the missing final document and the reach of the restrictions.
Bravo mocked the timetable. He said the Government was trying to fix in four days what it had failed to resolve in eight years. Ester Muñoz used the same argument earlier that day. The comments set up a difficult parliamentary fight before the decrees reach the floor.
The Government does not have a reliable majority in Congress. Both measures face a real approval test.
The housing package had already faced delays linked to the Government’s difficulty in securing enough parliamentary support. Reports on the negotiations said the decree was previously postponed because ministers did not have guaranteed votes, making the current timetable both urgent and politically risky.
The second housing measure looks more exposed. It would introduce automatic renewal of rental agreements. The PP has offered a ten-point plan instead.
That plan calls for faster licences and the use of all available public land. It would allow four years to start construction. It also proposes lower VAT and property transfer tax on first-home purchases.
The PP is attacking the fuel package too. Bravo and Nadal say the discounts are less generous than those introduced in March. The new support is reduced progressively until December. They also say the Government adopted none of the PP's proposals. The party still refuses to disclose its final voting position.
The European funds warning was expected to lead the PP briefing because the Government is due to request the final €25 billion recovery payment on Wednesday. The opposition says Spain could lose €2.5 billion if it fails to complete reforms promised to Brussels or if those reforms fall out of compliance.
That figure is disputed. Available reporting presents it as the PP's claim, not as a confirmed finding by the European Commission. Some reports put the estimate at €2.46 billion. The PP also says the recovery plan has helped keep the Government operating without a general state budget.
For households, the immediate question is whether rental protections and fuel support will survive the vote. For the Government, the problem is more direct. It must defend measures that the opposition says were not available in final form even to one of the ministers presenting them.
The package now carries disputes over rents, evictions, home purchases and fuel costs. The PP calls it insufficient and opaque. Congress will have to decide whether that case is strong enough to defeat the measures.
As reported by the Associated Press-linked Anadolu Agency, Sánchez has called on Parliament to support the urgent housing measures. The coalition does not control a guaranteed majority.
