Pedro Sánchez Calls Snap Elections in High-Stakes Housing Gamble

The decision to call for early elections follows a period of legislative paralysis, marked by failed budget attempts and a series of corruption scandals that have eroded public support. Sánchez is counting on his recent housing policy initiatives to act as a wedge issue, despite the lower house of parliament recently rejecting two of his key housing decree-laws. The vote saw a rare alignment between the centre-right People’s Party, the far-right Vox, and regional factions, highlighting the fragility of the current administration.

By dissolving parliament, Sánchez aims to bypass the legislative stalemate by shifting authority to the Diputación Permanente, a standing committee of 69 lawmakers that holds power until the new government is sworn in. With his socialist party and its allies controlling 35 of these seats—a narrow majority over the opposition’s 34—the Prime Minister hopes to force through housing measures that previously stalled. This legislative maneuver is designed to frame the upcoming campaign around the affordability crisis, particularly after mass protests were ignited by the high-profile eviction of an 87-year-old woman in September.