Spain’s housing crisis reached a turning point when an agreement allowed 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal to return home, while nationwide protests persisted against soaring rents that have nearly doubled over the past decade. While tenant advocates and thousands of demonstrators demanded broader reforms following her high-profile eviction, the Spanish parliament rejected emergency decrees aimed at protecting vulnerable renters until 2030, according to reports by LSM and local media outlets.
Maricarmen Abascal Returns Home After Rent Agreement
Maricarmen Abascal agreed to a new lease with property owner Urbagestión that will allocate 30% of her pension—approximately 500 euros per month—toward rent for the next eight years, Irish Independent and Reuters reported. This monthly payment matches what she paid before her eviction on September 23, when police and municipal workers carried her from the apartment on a stretcher. Abascal had lived in the Madrid residence for over 70 decades before steep rent hikes raised the cost from 500 euros to 2,650 euros per month. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, stated that Abascal will sign the formal contract upon being discharged from the hospital, where she received treatment for exhaustion following the eviction.
Protests Grip Madrid and Spark Nationwide Housing Outrage
The eviction of Abascal catalyzed mass demonstrations, turning Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square into a tent city that sheltered roughly one thousand protesters by its sixth day, LSM reported. Demonstrators chanted slogans demanding affordable housing and chanting “Shame!” outside the national parliament as police monitored the crowds. Average rental costs across Spain have surged to roughly 1,200 euros per month, consuming nearly the entire salary of young workers. The regional government of Madrid opposed the encampment, with regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso announcing plans to file an administrative lawsuit against the national government over its refusal to clear the protest site.
Parliamentary Rejection Deepens Political Strisis for Pedro Sánchez
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority government suffered a major defeat when the Spanish parliament rejected two emergency decrees designed to cap rent increases, automatically extend rental agreements, and protect vulnerable tenants from eviction until 2030, Liepajniekiem.lv and LSM reported. The first bill failed by a 178 to 172 vote, while the second was defeated 184 to 166. The left-wing coalition failed to secure the necessary backing after the Catalan separatist party Junts per Catalunya joined the conservative People’s Party (PP) and the right-wing Vox party in voting against the legislative measures ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for next year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much was Maricarmen Abascal’s rent increased before her eviction?
Her monthly rent jumped from approximately 500 euros to 2,650 euros, making the apartment financially impossible for the 87-year-old pensioner to maintain on her fixed income.
Which political parties voted against the government’s housing decrees?
The conservative People’s Party (PP), the far-right Vox party, and the Catalan separatist party Junts per Catalunya voted against the emergency measures, defeating the bills in parliament.
What organizations and groups are currently organizing the demonstrations in Madrid?
The Madrid Tenants’ Organization has spearheaded demands for systemic regulatory changes, while thousands of citizens and young workers have maintained a protest encampment in Puerta del Sol square.