Spain's government is considering a ban on evictions after widespread protests over an 87-year-old woman being removed from her home. Demonstrators are calling for reforms like rent freezes and automatic lease renewals without excessive hikes. The coalition government has agreed to propose measures including a ban on evictions until 2030, though it faces challenges in securing support in the fragmented parliament. Health Minister Monica Garcia emphasized the need to address speculation in the housing market by targeting entities that buy properties for profit.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Spain's parliament rejected emergency government decrees aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis, after hundreds of protesters gathered outside in Madrid. The measures, which included banning evictions for vulnerable tenants until 2030 and extending rental lease agreements, were defeated due to opposition from right-wing parties like the People’s party, far-right Vox, and the Catalan pro-independence Junts party. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority government, relying on support from smaller parties, failed to secure enough votes: the first decree was rejected by 178 votes to 172, and the second by 184 to 166. The crisis intensified after Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, was evicted from her Madrid apartment, leading to widespread protests across Spain. Sanchez urged lawmakers to "do the right thing," but the defeat has increased speculation that he might call for early elections, which were not scheduled until next summer.
Written for “Spanish Housing Crisis MeasuresRejected” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 10 other(s) covering the same event.
In short:
Spain's government looks set to ban evictions after nationwide outrage over an 87-year-old woman being removed from her home.
asserted
government → look → home
Maricarmen Abascal was taken from her home on a stretcher but is now considering an offer to return.
asserted
Abascal → take → offer
Protestors have been demanding legal reforms including a rent freeze and the automatic renewal of leases without abusive rent hikes.
asserted
Protestors → demand → hikes
Spain's coalition government said it had agreed proposals including banning evictions until 2030 to address the country's housing crisis, as the 87-year-old woman whose forced removal triggered protests was considering an offer to return home.
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removal → say → offer
Hundreds of people remained camped in one of Madrid's main squares on Tuesday, local time, to protest Maricarmen Abascal's removal from her home on a stretcher last Wednesday.
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Hundreds → remain → stretcher
They are demanding legal reforms including a rent freeze and the automatic renewal of leases without abusive rent hikes.
asserted
They → demand → hikes
Health Minister Monica Garcia said the ruling Socialists reached an agreement with junior partner Sumar on Tuesday for a set of new measures, including rolling over contracts until 2028 and banning so-called vulture funds from the housing market.
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Socialists → say → market
However, the minority government faces an uphill battle to secure support in a fragmented parliament.
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government → face → parliament
The government was seeking to broaden the definition of what constitutes a vulture fund beyond large private equity funds to any fund or company that buys housing for speculation, Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez told a news conference, naming UrbaGestion, the small company that evicted Abascal, as an example of a firm that might fall into that category.
uncertain
that → seek → category
The measures will be divided into two decrees to be voted in parliament on Friday, with the majority in a first decree.
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measures → divide → decree
The "final sticking point" of automatic contract rollover is in a second decree, Social Affairs Minister Pablo Bustinduy told a news conference.
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Bustinduy → tell → conference
'Time to intervene'
"It is time to intervene in the speculative housing market and start striking a balance between ordinary citizens and vulture funds," Ms Garcia wrote on X.
Junts, the Catalan pro-independence party that would need to back the decree for it to pass, said on Tuesday it was still far from agreeing on all measures and wanted protection for small landlords, who make up the vast majority of property owners in Spain.
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who → intervene → Spain
"We all agreed that evictions – where the property is owned by a fund, a vulture fund, run by someone managing millions of euros – obviously need to be stopped," Junts parliamentary spokesperson Miriam Nogueras said on RTVE.
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Nogueras → agree → RTVE
"Lumping together in this category those who have invested their savings in a flat, a restaurant or a property – putting them all in the same basket – is a mistake," she added.
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she → lump → basket
Madrid's tenants' union criticised the government's decision to split the measures into two decrees and said the Madrid encampment and others across Spain would continue until their full demands were met, with further demonstrations planned.
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demonstrations → criticise → Spain
The lawyer for pensioner Abascal said on Tuesday that UrbaGestion, the fund that owns her apartment, had offered a preliminary agreement late on Monday that could allow her return to her home if she agrees to its terms.
uncertain
she → say → terms
They would imply paying 30 per cent of her pension over the next eight years, equivalent to around 500 Euros a month ($812).
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They → imply → Euros
This would see her paying a similar level as prior to the eviction.
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her → see → eviction
"She should never have been forced to leave," Beatriz Duro told reporters.
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Duro → force → reporters
"I hope this case serves to provide a collective response to the housing crisis."
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case → hope → crisis
The Aporia
