Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez held talks with ministers and PSOE leaders on Sunday as he weighs whether to call an early general election, after Congress rejected two housing measures put forward by the government.
According to government sources quoted by RTVE, Sánchez began this period of reflection after Friday’s defeat in Parliament and is seeking the views of ministers and senior figures within the PSOE. His deliberations are also taking into account the demonstrations and housing protest camps held in various parts of Spain.
No decision has yet been taken. Some socialist figures have openly backed going to the polls. The secretary general of the PSE-EE, Eneko Andueza, has said it could be “a good moment for society to decide”, while the leader of the PSOE in Castile and León, Carlos Martínez, has spoken of a “window of opportunity”.
The situation arose after Congress rejected two decrees on Friday that had been approved earlier that week by the Council of Ministers. The first received 172 votes in favour and 178 against; the second, 166 in favour and 184 against. PP, Vox and Junts were decisive in preventing the texts from going through.
The government’s proposals included extending protections against eviction for vulnerable people, introducing new rules for temporary and room rentals, changing tax arrangements and providing greater stability for certain primary-residence tenancy agreements, according to official information from Moncloa.
29 November, first possible date
If Sánchez were to call an election immediately, Sunday 29 November would be the earliest possible date. To meet that timetable, he would need to announce his decision on Monday, with the decree dissolving Parliament and calling the election published in Tuesday’s edition of the Official State Gazette.
Electoral law stipulates that, in the event of an early dissolution, an election must be held 54 days after it is called. For now, Sánchez still has the opening of the National Congress of Family Business in Madrid in his diary on Monday, and is due to travel to Split, Croatia, on Wednesday to attend the MED9 summit.
The alternative would be to allow the parliamentary term to continue and try to revive the rejected housing measures, which would require the government to rebuild its support in Congress.
Thousands of people took to the streets in cities across Spain to demand action in response to the housing access crisis, while the groups behind the protests are considering stepping up their campaign towards a general strike.
The potential electoral impact of this discontent, however, remains unclear. Ignacio Urquizu, a sociologist, professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and chief executive of Metroscopia, said on Friday on Onda Cero’s “La Brújula” that the latest data from his institute showed Vox gaining ground, the PP holding steady and left-wing parties losing support.
According to Urquizu, the housing protests had not, at least up to that point, translated into increased support for the left.
In the PP, the party’s secretary general, Miguel Tellado, has directly urged Sánchez to call an election this Monday, claiming that the head of government “is still lying on the Moncloa psychiatrist’s couch”.
The prospect of an election has also prompted activity among the other parties. Sumar brought together its ministers and representatives of the parties within its alliance on Sunday to assess the situation and prepare for a possible election call. The second deputy prime minister, Yolanda Díaz, stressed that the decision rests solely with Sánchez.
Podemos, meanwhile, is calling on the government to continue bringing forward housing measures. Its secretary general, Ione Belarra, has argued that citizens want “solutions, not elections”.