The Congreso de los Diputados is today deciding at an extraordinary plenary sitting whether to confirm two housing policy decrees adopted by the Consejo de Ministros on 29 September. If confirmation fails, the measures set out in them will cease to apply. The vote follows nationwide protests after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid and is seen as a test for the coalition government.
The Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy, described the sitting beforehand as a “moment of truth” for this parliamentary term and urged MPs to support the decrees. He also warned that blocking key solutions on housing would cost the right at future elections. The arithmetic of the vote remains uncertain, however. The votes of the party Junts, which has set conditions, are expected to be decisive. Observers believe that Partido Popular, Vox and UPN are likely to vote against the texts; whether alternative majorities can be formed remains unclear. These assessments are attributed to political observers; the actual outcome remains to be seen.
In substance, the decrees aim to protect the social function of housing and provide greater stability in rental agreements. Among other measures, they provide for transitional arrangements that extend certain deadlines and strengthen procedures to prevent evictions. According to parliamentary sources, the provisions apply provisionally until the plenary vote; in recent days, some courts have suspended enforcement proceedings, citing the new rules. In Barcelona an eviction scheduled for early October was provisionally halted, according to media and court reports. Lawyers nevertheless point to legal uncertainties in how the rules are applied, for example regarding exemptions for landlords.
The Maricarmen Abascal case has brought housing to the top of the domestic political agenda. The government presents the decrees as a necessary framework offering immediate protection, while opposition parties criticise possible interference with property rights and point to unwanted side effects in the rental market. If parliament rejects the texts, the announced protective measures would be withdrawn at short notice. If a majority approves them, pressure will remain to move the provisional rules swiftly into the regular legislative process and resolve outstanding questions of interpretation.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).