Guy Hedgecoe
in Madrid

Throughout the weekend Pedro Sánchez had been known to be considering calling this snap election, which will be held on 29 November.

His decision, announced in a live address to the country, has been prompted by Congress’ refusal last week to approve his left-wing coalition government’s series of measures to tackle the housing crisis.

That initiative was in turn triggered by protests that followed the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her home.

Her eviction, which has since been reversed, has had a seismic impact, to the extent that it has now led to a snap election.

Image source, Getty Images

Reaction from Spanish politicians is continuing to come in, here's some of what we've been hearing:

President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa Roca, states his support for Sánchez, saying: "A Government that was born to move forward cannot stop just because some prefer stagnation." He adds the region will stand with Pedro, "now, more than ever".

Digital Minister Oscar López Agueda writes in a post on X: "Against the indignity of the penthouses, the dignity of the streets...It is time to choose what country we want."

While the Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, says the calling of the election is about "political survival" for the prime minister.

"Everyone knows this is not about housing for Sánchez," Spanish broadcaster Antenna 3 quotes him as saying.

Image source, Reuters

Pedro Sánchez's government has been marred by corruption investigations in recent months.

In May, police raided Madrid's headquarters of his Socialist Party and seized a number of documents.

It was part of an investigation into allegations that an operative, Leire Díez, was paid to carry out a campaign of misinformation aimed at impeding legal cases affecting the party. She denied doing anything wrong.

In April, Sánchez's wife, Begoña Gómez, was charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds following a two-year criminal investigation.

She is accused of using her relationship to advance her private career through a position at Madrid's Complutense University. She is also accused of using public resources to advance private interests.

Gómez denies the charges, while Sánchez dismissed the allegations as an attempt by the right-wing to undermine his coalition.

Meanwhile, former Socialist prime minister and close Sánchez ally José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is being investigated on suspicion of using his political influence to help secure a bailout for the Plus Ultra airline in 2021, and for potentially benefiting financially from the deal.

Zapatero has repeatedly denied doing anything wrong.

Sánchez's former transport minister, Jose ‌Luis Abalos, was jailed to 24 years in prison in June for a slew of offences, including corruption, after he was found guilty of being involved in a network that received kickbacks from the sale of facemasks during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sánchez's brother, David, was convicted in July of administrative misconduct and banned from holding public office for nine years in July over his appointment to a cultural post in Badajoz in ​2017.

Guy Hedgecoe
Reporting from Madrid

There had been increasing speculation over the weekend that Pedro Sánchez might make this announcement.

Congress' rejection of the series of measures he proposed to tackle the housing crisis was rather unexpected and seemed to underline the fact that he did not command a majority.

Sánchez clearly wants to take the political initiative here by calling this snap election, but it's going to be very tough for him to remain in power.

He's been prime minister since 2018. And he's managed to remain so, in a minority coalition government, thanks to the support of a series of other smaller parties - Catalan and Basque nationalist parties, and the smaller leftist parties.

He feels that public outrage at the rejection by Congress of those housing measure might be such that it can mobilise the left wing vote, perhaps giving his socialist party and the other smaller ones on the left a boost so that they can somehow form a majority.

But the polls do suggest that he is likely to lose the election and the left will really struggle to form a new majority, so it's looking like quite a long shot.

Polling shows Sánchez's Socialist party is trailing the conservative People’s Party, which many expect to attempt to form a government with the far-right Vox.

In his statement announcing the election, Sánchez warned Spaniards about what he called the “extreme-right wave” being seen in other countries and he said Spain should continue to be a global example of "peace, feminism and prosperity”.

Spain's Congress voted against new measures aimed at tackling the housing crisis on Friday.

Sánchez's government had presented the laws in response to the nationwide protests. They needed parliamentary approval to remain in place. Here's what the proposals were:

• The suspension of evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030
• A two-year extension to rental leases due to expire before 2028
• Tax increases for tourist apartments
• A restriction on the purchase of residential properties by what the government calls "vulture funds"
• The automatic renewal of rental contracts

Image source, Reuters

The leader of the People's Party has been reacting to Sánchez's announcement of early election with his own statement from the party's headquarters in Madrid.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo says Spain will "at last" say "what it thinks", adding: "At last, the majority will speak again. At last, Spaniards will decide."

He describes the upcoming 29 November vote as a choice between Sánchez's "project of personal ambition" and one for Spain.

Núñez Feijóo asks Spanish voters whether they want "four more years" of what they've been living or want to give change an opportunity.

Image source, Reuters

The Spanish leader of the opposition is now delivering a statement.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo is the president of the conservative People's Party.

We'll bring you more on this when we get it.

Nick Beake
Europe correspondent

Image source, EPA

As a left-wing leader, Pedro Sánchez has found himself in a shrinking club within the European Union as many voters shift to the right.

He has been celebrated by pro-Palestinians for his position on Gaza and his government has been one of the most critical in Europe of Israel, accusing it of genocide. Israel responded that Sánchez was siding with terrorists.

US President Donald Trump has singled out Spain for failing to spend enough on defence and not contributing sufficiently to the Nato collective defence alliance.

In turn, Sánchez has spoken out against the US president, notably after America’s military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Ultimately, though, it’s domestic politics and the potent issues of housing and affordability that have brought Sánchez to this point.

He now faces an uphill battle to remain in power on the national stage, let alone as a player on the international one.

Image source, Reuters

Spain's political parties have been reacting to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's announcement of a snap election for 29 November.

"Por fin," says the conservative People's Party on X, which translates to "at last". The party also posts a video showing people laughing and celebrating.

Meanwhile on Bluesky, Sumar says: "We are ready, and there are more of us."

Sumar is a political platform which brings together four left-wing coalition partners, broadly to the left of Sánchez's Socialists.

"Sánchez or Spain," Pepa de Millan, spokesperson for the right-wing Vox party writes on X.

While the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, led by Sánchez, says: "Let's give it our all, let's work to inspire and to win again."

In central Madrid, protesters have been camping in the city's Puerta del Sol square - as this photo from earlier this morning shows.

As a reminder, people have been protesting across Spain over housing costs and renters' rights - and now, the crisis has led to an early election.

Image source, Reuters

Sergi Forcada Freixas

Pedro Sánchez says that, to push reforms through, "we need the support of the people" and "a broader progressive majority" that can "overcome the resistance of the elites".

As we've reported, the election comes after his government failed to secure enough support in Congress last week for a package of measures aimed at tackling the country's housing crisis.

Sánchez's minority government was unable to win backing from either its allies, or opposition parties, meaning the proposals - which included a ban on evictions - were voted down.

Sánchez has been Spain's prime minister since June 2018. Spain was not due to hold a general election until the summer of 2027, at the latest.

The Socialist Party finished second in the last election, in 2023.

Although the conservative People's Party won the most seats, it fell short of a majority. Sánchez remained in power after striking agreements with left-wing parties and securing support from Catalan and Basque nationalist and pro-independence groups.

Most opinion polls suggest the conservatives are likely to emerge as the largest party in the next election.

However, they would be expected to need the support of the hard-right Vox party to form a government.

After announcing the election, the prime minister says there is a need to "renew and broaden people's support" for the government.

He adds that Spain "must mobilise and ensure that parliament provides us with a much broader progressive majority".

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirms Spain will be heading to the polls on 29 November.

The next vote was originally scheduled for the summer of 2027.

Sánchez begins by saying Spain has faced several crises in recent years, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and multiple crises in the Middle East.

He says the coalition government has secured several successes, including a growing economy, despite attempts to "boycott" its progress.

"Spain has become a world example of peace, feminism and prosperity," he says.

The Spanish prime minister is now delivering his address to the nation.

As we've been reporting, Sánchez is expected to call for an early general election.

We'll bring you the top lines here and you can watch his speech in Spanish at the top of this page.

The expected announcement comes after weeks of protests across Spain, calling for greater protections for tenants.

On Saturday, about 50 marches took place on Saturday in cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.

Nationwide protests broke out across Spain last month after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from her home in Madrid following a sharp rent increase.

A legal glitch allowed her landlord to raise her rent from €500 (£428; $572) to €2,650. It was later lowered to €1,650 - still €300 more than her monthly pension.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s leftist coalition government failed to pass emergency housing legislation on Friday.

The legislation included the suspension of evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030 and tax increases on tourist apartments.

It also included a decree on the automatic renewal of rental contracts, a major demand of many on the left and the Tenants’ Union.

Spanish MPs rejected the first decree by 178 votes to 172 and voted against the second by 184 to 166.

Image source, Reuters

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to call snap elections during a televised address scheduled for 09:00 local time (08:00 BST).

Sánchez has been facing mounting pressure in recent weeks, deepened by the loss of a key vote on housing measures on Friday.

The measures were drafted in response to nationwide protests over the eviction of an 87-year-old from her home, for failing to pay a sharp rent increase.

Sánchez's beleaguered government had already been mired in a series of scandals and judicial cases affecting his Socialist Party and close allies.

The Spanish prime minister currently doesn’t command a congressional majority.

We'll be listening across Sánchez's address and bring you his top lines and analysis from our correspondents.