The Catalan party Junts said on 1 October 2026 that it would oppose the two decree-laws on housing policy put forward by the Spanish Government in the Congress of Deputies and called for them to be withdrawn. Confirmation of the texts was on the agenda for 2 October. Government sources said that withdrawal was not planned. This leaves the majority required for parliamentary confirmation uncertain.
According to sources close to Junts, the drafts are inadequate. The party is calling for a unified, structurally more comprehensive approach. It is particularly critical that the proposals do not adequately address key issues around price-setting in unregulated areas and access to social housing. The government of Pedro Sánchez had justified the measures as a necessary response to market distortions and the particular need to protect vulnerable tenants.
The decree-laws include provisions on bulk sales of housing stock to property funds as well as extended and partly automatic tenancy renewals. Details have been negotiated in recent days between the Council of Ministers and parliamentary groups. Junts’ opposition heightens the stakes, as parts of the right-wing opposition — notably Partido Popular and Vox — have also signalled that they will vote against the measures. Without additional votes, at least one of the proposals risks failing to secure confirmation.
Tenant groups and some opposition parties had already called for more far-reaching interventions, such as stricter limits on rent increases in stressed areas and binding quotas for affordable new-build housing. Business associations, by contrast, warned of obstacles to investment and legal uncertainty. These positions are politically contested; any measurable effects will depend on the final wording of the rules approved by Congress.
Under parliamentary procedure, decree-laws must be confirmed or rejected by the Congreso de los Diputados within 30 days of being issued. If confirmation fails, they cease to have effect. The government could still make short-notice concessions or offer to convert the measures into legislation at a later date to secure support. It remains to be seen whether these steps would sufficiently meet Junts’ demand for a consolidated, nationwide framework.
The dispute highlights how central housing remains to Spanish politics: it brings together social concerns, the investment climate and budget constraints — and, in a minority parliament, determines whether the government can implement its agenda.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).