Madrid – A crucial vote on a housing decree designed to ease Spain’s rental crisis looks increasingly uncertain after the Catalan kingmaker party Junts raised last‑minute objections on Thursday. The party, which holds seven seats in the 350‑member Congress, asked the government to draft a new proposal before the scheduled vote.

Junts’ concerns over supply and affordability

Junts, a separatist centre‑right group, warned that the decree’s provisions could backfire. The measures include a ban on evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, an extension of the rent‑freeze for existing leases by two years, and tighter rules for short‑term rentals. In a statement, Junts said, “Many of the measures included will produce the opposite effect of what is intended: they will reduce the supply of rental housing, drive up prices, and make it even harder for people with limited financial means to access housing.”

Government’s position and parliamentary arithmetic

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority left‑leaning government controls only 147 seats and relies on a patchwork of smaller parties to pass legislation. The administration has already signalled that it expects opposition parties to withhold support for the decree, one of two housing reforms introduced after protests sparked by the eviction of 87‑year‑old Maricarmen Abascal.

Thousands of mostly young activists have set up encampments in Madrid’s main square and other cities, demanding broader reforms. A second decree, which would allow automatic and indefinite renewal of rental contracts, was also expected to fall short of the minimum support needed in the fractured Congress.

Voices from the streets

Aidan, a 26‑year‑old wildfire firefighter, expressed frustration at Junts’ decision not to back the measures, saying, “I already thought the measures were insufficient and only temporary, but vetoing them is selfish and abandoning the people. We’ll keep up the encampment.”

While the government argues the decree is a step toward protecting families facing housing insecurity, Junts maintains that the approach could unintentionally tighten the market, harming the very families it seeks to help.

What lies ahead

With the vote looming, the administration faces a choice: negotiate revisions that address Junts’ supply concerns or risk the decree’s defeat and further public unrest. The outcome will shape Spain’s housing policy for the coming years and test the Sánchez government’s ability to navigate a fragmented parliament.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.