The eviction of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal after an unaffordable rent increase has lit a fire across Spain, thrusting the housing crisis into the national spotlight.
Lawmakers voted against two decree-laws that the government had put forward in an attempt to calm the protests. The measures were meant to cap rents and offer temporary protection to renters, but were seen by many as insufficient.
The decision has left the country in a state of unrest, with demonstrations swelling in Madrid and other major cities. BBC reporters on the ground question whether the government’s setback could force the next general election, which is scheduled for next summer, into the hands of the voters before time.
As the crisis deepens, Spanish citizens demand affordable housing and a clear path forward, while analysts monitor whether a snap election is looming on the horizon.
