Spain’s Sánchez dissolves parliament, sets snap election for Nov 29
In short
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of parliament and snap general elections for 29 November, his office said at a press conference after an extraordinary cabinet meeting. Vedomosti, citing el Diario, reported the decision followed the Congress of Deputies’ rejection on 2 October of two government decrees containing housing measures. RBC, citing Brussel Signal, linked the vote to a wave of protests over housing conditions, including a Madrid demonstration on 3 October whose size is disputed: the regional government delegation estimated 70,000 participants, while the organising tenant union said 500,000.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of parliament and called snap general elections for 29 November, speaking at a press conference after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, Vedomosti reported, citing the newspaper el Diario. RIA Novosti and RBC also reported the dissolution and the early vote. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to Vedomosti, Sánchez said the government needed to renew and broaden its public support in order to continue carrying out reforms and to form a broader progressive majority in parliament. He also acknowledged that the authorities had not completed all of their tasks, naming in particular the fight against inequality, the development of public services and making housing affordable. [ 3 ]
The decision followed the Congress of Deputies’ rejection on 2 October of two government decrees containing housing measures, Vedomosti reported. Those measures included protection for vulnerable tenants, limits on rent increases and extensions of lease contracts. RBC, citing Brussel Signal, said the election was called against a wave of protests over housing conditions, and its headline quoted Sánchez referring to the “worst opposition in history”; the documents give no further context for that phrase. [ 2 , 3 ]
On 3 October, El País reported that about 70,000 people took part in a protest in Madrid over the housing crisis, according to an estimate by the regional government delegation, Vedomosti wrote. The tenant union that organised the demonstration said 500,000 people took part. Marchers moved in four columns to the Plaza de Cibeles, where Madrid city hall is located, under the slogan “On the way to a general strike”. Tenant union representative Valeria Raku said the organisation intends to press for a general strike, but no date has been set. [ 3 ]
Vedomosti also recalled its 8 August report on problems in Spain’s housing market, including lengthy procedures for evicting people who have illegally occupied properties. In 2025, police registered 14,875 reports of squatting, almost 40% of them in Catalonia, followed by Andalusia, Valencia and Madrid, the outlet said. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The snap vote, less than two months away, will determine whether the government can secure the broader parliamentary support it says it needs to continue reforms, including on housing. The housing protests that form the backdrop, and the tenant union’s stated aim of a general strike, keep the cost of housing as a central issue going into the campaign.
Key facts
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of parliament and snap general elections for 29 November [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Sánchez made the announcement at a press conference after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers [ 3 ]
- He said the government needs to renew and broaden public support to continue reforms and build a broader progressive majority in parliament [ 3 ]
- Sánchez acknowledged the authorities had not met all their goals, notably on inequality, public services and housing affordability [ 3 ]
- On 2 October the Congress of Deputies rejected two government decrees with housing measures, including protection for vulnerable tenants, limits on rent increases and extensions of lease contracts [ 3 ]
- On 3 October El País reported that about 70,000 people joined a housing protest in Madrid, according to the regional government delegation, while the organising tenant union said 500,000 took part [ 3 ]
- RBC, citing Brussel Signal, reported the election was called against a wave of protests over housing conditions [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti reported the dissolution and the calling of early elections without further detail [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The size of the Madrid housing protest on 3 October Documents give conflicting figures: about 70,000 according to the regional government delegation’s estimate, and 500,000 according to the tenant union that organised the march.
- Sánchez’s reference to the “worst opposition in history” The phrase appears only in RBC’s headline, attributed to Brussel Signal, with no context or corroboration in the other documents.
- What primarily drove the decision to call early elections Vedomosti points to the rejection of the housing decrees in parliament, while RBC frames it as a response to housing protests; the documents do not resolve which was decisive.
- Any detail beyond the headline from RIA Novosti Document 1 carries only a headline and no article text or summary, so it adds no specifics.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- RIA Novosti reports that the Spanish prime minister dissolved parliament and called early elections [ 1 ]
- RBC reports the dissolution and the 29 November election date, citing Brussel Signal, and links it to protests over housing conditions [ 2 ]
- Vedomosti publishes details from Sánchez’s press conference, the rejection of the housing decrees on 2 October and the 3 October Madrid protest [ 3 ]