Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced early general elections Monday after his government suffered a bruising legislative defeat last week on emergency measures related to the country’s housing crisis.
The vote will be held Nov. 29.
In recent weeks, Spaniards have demanded solutions from the government over housing affordability, holding protests in cities across the country after public outrage grew over the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month.
Right-wing opposition parties joined forces to scuttle two emergency decrees introduced by Sánchez’s government that included measures to reduce evictions and real estate speculation.
The setback sparked wide speculation that Sánchez would move up a national election that would have otherwise taken place next year — and seize on his base’s anger over the rejected housing measures.
Read more about the protests at the link in bio.
#APPhotos by Alessandra Tarantino, Fernando Sánchez/Europa Press via AP a...