Massive housing protests erupt in Spain as people roar for rent regulation
Tens of thousands take to the streets of Madrid demanding affordable housing after Congress rejects tenant relief measure
Quick Look
- After the Spanish Congress rejected tenant relief measures, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets in Madrid and across the country on the 3rd, demanding that the government protect tenants and solve the problem of soaring rents.
- The move stemmed from the forcible eviction of an 87-year-old woman, and the public vowed to continue fighting until the authorities took regulatory action.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Spanish Congress recently rejected the government’s tenant relief measures, including restrictions on evictions of vulnerable tenants. Previously, an 87-year-old retired woman was forcibly evicted because she could not pay the rent, causing widespread dissatisfaction in society.
Just a day after the Spanish Congress rejected the government's tenant relief measures, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of the capital Madrid and other major cities across the country on the 3rd, roaring and demanding that the authorities protect tenants and affordable housing.
The protest originated from an eviction incident more than a week ago, in which 87-year-old retired woman Mary Carmen. Maricarmen Abascal was forcibly evicted from his home in Madrid by the police because he was unable to pay the skyrocketing rent.
On the 2nd, several relief measures proposed by the government of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, including automatic renewal of rental contracts and restrictions on evictions of vulnerable tenants, were rejected by the opposition party in Congress. This is nothing more than another political blow to Sanchez, and has once again raised questions about whether the minority government he leads can survive until the next parliamentary election scheduled to be held next year.
The rejection of the relief package by Congress also angered Spanish people who were dissatisfied with soaring rents. Hundreds of protesters took over central Madrid a week ago in an attempt to pressure the authorities to implement reforms through a long-term struggle. On the 3rd, demonstrators took to the streets of Madrid; the organizers said that as many as 500,000 people participated in the event, while the authorities said that the number of participants was 70,000.
Marcos Sainz, a 26-year-old librarian, once rented a two-bedroom apartment with a friend for 900 euros (approximately NT$32,251), but now the rent for a one-bedroom apartment alone is 1,000 euros (approximately NT$35,835). Sainz vowed to continue protesting against soaring rents "until someone dares to regulate - otherwise we all have to leave Madrid".
Open Questions
- Will the government propose a new rental relief package?
- Will the protests affect the outcome of next year’s congressional election?
