Sources close to Pedro Sánchez say an early general election is being considered as two major housing decrees face likely defeat in Congress. Carles Puigdemont’s possible return adds to the tension, with insiders describing the situation as “explosive.”
Socialist strategists are watching the streets as well as Congress. If Junts per Catalunya blocks the housing measures and public protests grow, Sánchez may act. One party figure put it plainly: “The current climate of citizen mobilization benefits us.” A snap election could turn protest into votes.
One of the decrees includes a ban on evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030 and a two-year rent freeze, information from Reuters.
Sánchez’s team had planned for a 2027 election, but shifting alliances and the risk of gridlock prompted a rethink. If the decrees fall, November 29 is the earliest possible date for a national vote. The strategy would be to move quickly while public support is strong, before the mood could sour.
Junts per Catalunya holds the cards. Its representatives told this newspaper they doubt Sánchez will risk an early vote, pointing to the unresolved legal case involving his wife. The trial is coming up; the prosecution wants a 13-year sentence, while the public prosecutor calls for acquittal. Junts says Sánchez is more likely to hold on than gamble now.
Inside the PSOE, nerves are raw. Ferraz headquarters is urging everyone to wait, with no decisions until Friday’s votes are counted. “Today is the day of the decrees,” one official said. The outcome will determine the next step. If both housing texts are rejected, the government could call elections right away, aiming to ride the wave of street protests.
Junts has formally tied its vote to the immediate withdrawal and redrafting of the first housing decree, making a last-minute compromise highly unlikely. ARA and ABC report that the Spanish government has said it will not withdraw either decree, setting up a direct confrontation in Congress.
Talks with Junts have stalled, and government sources say there will be no last-minute deals. “Junts only needs to abstain; there’s nothing more to discuss,” Sánchez’s team said. The president will stay in the chamber during the debate as a sign of respect for those affected by the measures. There will be no crisis cabinet or secret meetings; the focus will be on the vote.
The housing crisis remains front and center in Spanish politics. The government’s failure to secure support for its decrees has left many asking what comes next for housing policy and the coalition’s future. Junts’ position on housing has already sparked backlash among its own voters, as reported earlier by this publication.
Everything now hangs on a few votes, as the mood in the streets changes by the hour. Sánchez can try to govern with a weak mandate or risk an early election, one that could secure his power or end it.
