Live Updates: Spain Calls Early Election After Housing Crisis Roils Government

Spain Election Live Updates: Sánchez Calls for Nov. 29 Snap Election After Housing Crisis Roils Government - The New York Times

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Political Turmoil in Spain

* Early Elections Called
* What to Know
* Housing Crisis
* Eviction Protests
* Migrant Concerns
* Corruption Accusations

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LiveUpdated

Oct. 5, 2026, 10:14 a.m. ET13 minutes ago

Live Updates: Spain Calls Early Election After Housing Crisis Roils Government

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain has faced rising challenges to his authority amid a migration crisis and several corruption scandals involving his inner circle.

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VideoSpain Calls Snap Elections Amid Housing Protests

*Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain called for early elections on Monday, days after his left-wing governing coalition lost a parliamentary vote to pass a package of emergency housing measures.CreditCredit...Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters*

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Latest

Updated

Oct. 5, 2026, 10:14 a.m. ET13 minutes ago

Carlos Barragán and Jason Horowitz

Carlos Barragán reported from Madrid.

Here’s the latest.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain called for early elections on Monday, days after his left-wing governing coalition, which lacks a majority in Parliament, lost a parliamentary vote to pass a package of emergency housing measures.

Mr. Sánchez and other left-wing politicians are seeking to frame the early election around Spain’s housing crisis, after thousands of people protested in recent days against soaring rents and home prices. But the conservative Popular Party and the far-right Vox party are expected to focus instead on the migration crisis, and on Mr. Sánchez himself, a deeply unpopular figure among right-wing voters.

The snap election will be held on Nov. 29, months ahead of schedule, Mr. Sánchez said on Monday.

Mr. Sánchez, one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders, had become a hero to the global left for standing up to the Trump administration over the war in Iran, supporting renewable energy and inclusive immigration policies. At home, his popularity was dented first by corruption accusations directed at his innermost circle, and then by a major migration crisis spurred by the sudden surge of tens of thousands of migrants into a Spanish territory in North Africa.

The defeat of the housing measures, which Mr. Sánchez had hoped would soothe public anger at rising evictions and soaring rents — symbolized by the recent eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman in Madrid — amounted to the final straw. The loss showed that his government was essentially paralyzed and unable to pass legislation that its liberal base deemed vital.

But it also handed Mr. Sánchez an issue that could rally his left-wing base during the campaign, as he tries to defeat conservatives who currently outperform his Socialist Party in polls.

“To carry out the far-reaching reforms to reduce inequality,” Mr. Sánchez said in a press briefing on Monday, “we must mobilize to secure a much larger progressive majority in Parliament — one capable of taking on the elites, achieving new social advances and continuing to transform Spain.”

Mr. Sánchez said that voters would have to choose between keeping Spain as “a bastion of social justice” or “the far-right wave that brings regression wherever it governs.” That was a reference to Vox, which could join a right-wing government led by the Popular Party, the main conservative opposition group.

Here’s what we’re covering:

* **Reaction:** The Popular Party celebrated Mr. Sánchez’s announcement as a victory, as it had been calling for months for an early election. “FINALLY,” the party said on social media on Monday morning. “We will deliver justice, recover lost time, money and hope, and rebuild our country,” the party said in a separate video.
* **Housing crisis:** Mr. Sánchez’ decision comes amid voter outrage at the eviction of Ms. Abascal. Though she was subsequently allowed to return home, her treatment led to mass protests and a tent encampment in central Madrid — and to the failed parliamentary vote last week.
* **Opinion polls:** Polls in Spain have consistently shown broader support for right-wing parties in recent months. According to current projections, Mr. Sánchez’s left-wing bloc is falling well short of the numbers needed for a parliamentary majority. But after nearly a decade of leading the country, Mr. Sánchez has built a reputation for political comebacks.
* **Markets:** Mr. Sánchez’ decision to call an early election added to the shakiness that has been troubling European assets in financial markets recently. On Monday, the euro dropped to about $1.12, its lowest level since May 2025 against the U.S. dollar.

Eshe Nelson contributed reporting.

!Carlos Barragán

Oct. 5, 2026, 8:17 a.m. ET2 hours ago

Carlos Barragán

Reporting from Madrid

Small left-wing parties are rushing to choose their leaders ahead of the Nov. 29 election and to capitalize on protests across Spain. Podemos, a far-left party, has proposed holding joint primary elections with other smaller formations this month. Sumar, the junior party in the current governing coalition, has announced that it and other parties would relaunch as an alliance called Frente Amplio. The left’s inability to unite under a single platform could complicate Sánchez’ gambit of trying to secure a parliamentary majority through new elections.

!José Bautista

Oct. 5, 2026, 7:40 a.m. ET3 hours ago

José Bautista

Reporting from Madrid

Voters from both the left and the right have welcomed the news of a snap election.

Gonzalo Matías, a 28-year-old civil servant from Madrid, says he hopes the election will allow the left to win the majority in Parliament that it currently lacks. Matías calls Sánchez “the best asset the left has” and praises his focus on human rights and global social justice.

Chavela Quesada, an 82-year-old pensioner, says she believes the election is “the best news Spain could have received, because the country is sinking.” She calls the current government “incompetent,” adding: “Everything they have done has been wrong: immigration, the invasion of Ceuta, everything is horrible.”

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Oct. 5, 2026, 7:30 a.m. ET3 hours ago

Lara Jakes

Spain’s government has faced months of spiraling crises.

Image

!A very large crowd of protesters, photographed from above, fills a street in Madrid.

*People demonstrating on Saturday in Madrid for stronger protections for renters.Credit...Andrea Comas/Associated Press*

The decision by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain on Monday to call an early election came after months of escalating crises that have made it hard for him to govern.

He had faced growing pressure after several allies were prosecuted for corruption. A migrant surge into a Spanish territory in North Africa spurred scrutiny of Mr. Sánchez’ migrant-friendly policies. Public outrage over soaring rents and housing scarcity proved the final straw, after Mr. Sánchez’ governing coalition — which lacked a majority in Parliament — on Friday lost its bid to pass new housing legislation to soothe voter anger.

Here’s what to know about how he got here.

Corruption

Mr. Sánchez faced no corruption allegations himself. But people in his inner circle and some of his family members have been convicted or investigated.

A former top official in Mr. Sánchez’ party, José Luis Ábalos, was sentenced in June to 24 years in prison for bribery and corruption. And in May, police raided the headquarters of Mr. Sánchez’ Socialist Party, as officers searched for evidence of a mudslinging campaign against judges investigating Mr. Sánchez’ relatives.

Thos