Demonstrators camping in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square have vowed to sustain pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government over Spain’s worsening housing crisis, as an 87-year-old woman whose eviction sparked the protests urged them to “hold on”.
Gatekeepers News reports that the protesters erected about 100 tents in the busy square after tens of thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday to demand lower housing costs and stronger protections for tenants.
The demonstrations were triggered by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her lifelong apartment in Madrid on Wednesday.
“I’m asking you all to be courageous, to fight, to defend what belongs to us,” Abascal said in a video shared on X by the Madrid Tenants’ Union.
Abascal, who has been hospitalised since her eviction, has become a symbol of public opposition to soaring housing costs in Spain.
Sanchez, who has faced criticism, including from within his own political camp, over his administration’s handling of housing prices since taking office in 2018, is expected to present a new housing bill on Tuesday.
The prime minister has urged other political parties to support the proposed legislation, which is expected to include measures such as the automatic renewal of rental contracts and additional restrictions on evictions.
However, his party lacks a parliamentary majority, leaving the fate of the proposed measures uncertain. A similar bill was rejected earlier this year.
“We are demanding that this decree-law be enacted to protect the right to housing and prevent evictions,” said Carlota, a 29-year-old protester who spent the night in one of the tents in the tourist-filled square.
“We are living through a serious situation in Spain right now,” she said, calling for “an end to putting capital and investment funds before people”.
Eviction Sparks Public Outrage
Abascal was forced to leave the apartment where she had lived for 70 years after a real estate company acquired the property and increased the rent by 275 per cent to €2,650 ($3,000), according to the Tenants’ Union.
Images of Abascal being carried out of her home on a stretcher after police broke down her door sparked widespread outrage and brought the housing crisis to the forefront of public debate ahead of elections next year.
Beatriz Blanco, a 37-year-old self-employed worker, told AFP that she had witnessed similar difficulties among people in her social circle.
“I have a friend whose 65-year-old mother had to move back in with her because she could no longer pay her rent, which had just been increased,” she said.
Blanco described property prices across Spain as “completely insane”.
Rents Nearly Double in a Decade
The average rental price per square metre in Spain has almost doubled over the past decade, reaching €15.10 ($17.05) in August, according to property portal Idealista.
For homebuyers, the average price now stands at €2,355 per square metre, representing an increase of more than 50 per cent over the same period, according to official figures.
“It’s an utterly unsustainable situation,” Blanco said, adding that she was prepared to remain at the protest camp “at least for another night”.
Sanchez was scheduled to visit a social housing project in Barcelona on Monday afternoon. A demonstration was also planned near the city’s Congress Palace in the evening, where he was expected to attend an awards ceremony.
On Sunday, the prime minister said his government would work tirelessly to introduce new housing measures as early as Tuesday, following a cabinet meeting.
The proposed measures are expected to face close scrutiny from activists and protesters seeking stronger tenant protections and more affordable housing.
“A strong message needs to be sent,” Miriam Bue, spokesperson for the Spanish Tenants’ Union, told AFP.
Bue said she expected “nothing” from the right-wing Popular Party, which governs the Madrid region and oversees housing policy there.
Instead, she expressed hope that the left-wing central government would adopt her organisation’s proposal for “open-ended rental contracts” to replace the current five-year terms.
“Otherwise, we will step up our movement,” she warned.
