Five left-wing parties – Sumar, Podemos, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, EH Bildu and the Bloque Nacionalista Galego – have announced a joint press appearance today outside Hospital Gregorio Marañón in Madrid . The occasion is the eviction case of an 87-year-old woman from Madrid, whose transfer to hospital in recent days has sparked nationwide protests and a political debate about tenant protection.
According to their announcements, the parties involved intend to call for a “Decreto Maricarmen”. This refers to an emergency order to be approved by government decree, with measures against evictions, to strengthen tenants’ rights and to provide powers to intervene against large property owners and so-called vulture funds. Representatives of Sumar and other parties have also raised the possibility of expropriating the specific flat in question. These are political positions; no official publications have yet set out a final government draft of the legislation.
Alongside the announced appearance, protests are continuing in Madrid, including a rally at the Sindicato de Inquilinas organised by civil society groups and the Puerta del Sol. Media attention is high following reports from Hospital Gregorio Marañón about the woman’s health and messages of support for the demonstrators. These accounts come from media reports; the hospital has issued no independent official bulletins.
Government sources recently indicated that a housing decree could be discussed shortly by the Council of Ministers. Whether a decree will actually be approved, and in what form, remains uncertain. The timetable for any expropriation instruments and their constitutional safeguards is also unclear. Assessments of the impact and scope of a future “Decreto Maricarmen” should therefore be treated as forecasts.
The background is a parliament shaped by minority and regional parties, in which the governing coalition needs additional votes. Sumar had publicly applied pressure and announced that it would not accept cosmetic compromises without effective tenant protection measures. Sources close to the Palacio de la Moncloa had also said that work was under way on a draft. The key test of the action now announced will be whether the political momentum from the streets and opposition accelerates negotiations – and whether the government presents a legally sound draft that limits evictions in the short term and also stands up in court.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).