With Spain’s election approaching, Pedro Sánchez’s government is using social decrees to advance its agenda and pressure political opponents. It retains authority until the vote, and urgent decrees can still proceed after parliament dissolves on October 5 if the Diputación Permanente approves them.
The plan is to use the executive’s hold over the Boletín Oficial del Estado to approve headline policies right up to the last minute. This week, after a Council of Ministers meeting, Sánchez said, “The government will continue governing.” The government can still validate decisions through the Diputación Permanente, with backing from the PNV and left-wing coalition partners, but without Junts. Official government statements confirm that urgent decrees can go ahead after parliament dissolves on October 5 if the standing commission signs off.
On October 6, the Council of Ministers approved two royal decree-laws on housing. The first entered into force immediately; the second awaited ratification by the Diputación Permanente.
The centerpiece is a major increase in the salario mínimo interprofesional (SMI). Yolanda Díaz is already moving to formalize the increase, signaling that the government will keep raising wages. Since Mariano Rajoy left office, the SMI has jumped 66%. The proposed hike is meant to be large enough that even a future PP and Vox government would struggle to reverse it without paying a steep political price. Still, official government communications say the exact amount of the next SMI increase has not been settled and will require further negotiation.
Pensions are also in play. Increases are normally announced at the end of the year, but the government is weighing whether to bring the timeline forward or make public promises before the election. Pensions have tracked the IPC, while minimum pensions have risen even faster. This approach draws a sharp contrast with Vox, which calls the pension system a “zombie,” and the PP, which has hinted at reforms less forcefully. Government sources say any formal announcement on pension indexation will need more parliamentary support and is not final.
Other ministries are working flat out to prepare more social measures for upcoming Council of Ministers meetings. The playbook echoes the “viernes sociales” of the last legislature, in contrast with Rajoy’s “viernes negros” austerity days. The government wants to keep the spotlight on housing and social spending, while also emphasizing pensions, the minimum wage, healthcare and education, areas where it believes the PP is weakest. Information from the Ministry of Housing, the latest package includes 21 measures: tax breaks for tenants, incentives for landlords offering affordable rents, €280 million in guarantees for industrial construction, and €400 million in aid for social housing providers.
A separate decree allows rental contracts to be extended by up to two years for tenants who meet their obligations on time, and limits rent increases. The government has acknowledged that it currently lacks sufficient parliamentary support for this second measure, so it will not take effect alongside the first housing decree.
It remains unclear whether the last-minute decrees will sway voters. Political strategist Antoni Gutiérrez Rubi says that although some see the moves as desperate, a basic group, voters who swing between the PP and PSOE, expects this kind of action. “These changing voters can be sensitive to those positive decrees,” he says. The right’s message, meanwhile, is simple: “oust Sánchez.”
Housing remains a flashpoint, especially for younger voters. The government hopes its emergency decrees and the new “decreto Maricarmen” will resonate with Generation Z, though it knows delivering results in time will be difficult. The general strike set for November 11, focused on housing, adds to the tension. The executive wants the strike to appear to be a protest against the PP, but, as Gutiérrez Rubi notes, “All strikes by definition are against governments.”
International events could also affect Spain’s campaign. From the US midterms to Brazil’s elections, the left faces tough headwinds abroad, while a broader rightward shift in Western politics limits Sánchez’s advantage as a candidate.
The PP is already rolling out its own plans. Alberto Núñez Feijóo has promised to reform sick leave laws, a move likely to spark debate among workers. The government’s tactic is to force the opposition to take clear positions on social policy, betting these issues will set the tone for the campaign.
For those following Spain’s shifting legal and economic scene, the current maneuvering recalls other recent developments, including the recent breakdown of inheritance tax strategies that have fueled debate over property and wealth transfers.
The government is using every tool at its disposal to shape the pre-election agenda and lock in social gains. Whether these moves will tip the balance with voters remains uncertain, but Sánchez’s team is betting that action on wages and pensions, alongside housing measures, will set the terms for the final weeks before Spain votes. With the right focused on ousting Sánchez, the government’s best shot is to keep the campaign on ground where it believes it has the upper hand. The results will show whether last-minute policy can turn the tide for the left.
