Chaos in Spain: a general strike over the housing crisis rocks the Sánchez government during the campaign

MADRID.- Spain experienced a general strike this Wednesday against the housing crisis and the loss of purchasing power, involving route closures, disruptions to public transport, and shutdowns in industrial sectors, a day that tested Pedro Sánchez's government less than three weeks before the early elections on November 29th. This labor action, the first general strike called jointly by the country's two main unions since 2012, was driven by Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), the General Workers' Union (UGT), and tenant organizations, who demand greater state intervention to curb rising rents, evictions, and difficulties accessing housing. Participation varied widely by region and sector. Unions reported up to 90% participation in ports and car factories, while the main Spanish business organization, CEOE, considered the impact low in most activities. Demonstrators block a road in Barcelona during a national general strike motivated by the country's housing crisis. Joan Mateu - AP In the early hours of the morning, protesters cut access routes to Madrid and partially blocked the exit of municipal bus depots. In Barcelona, the metro operated with a minimum of 25% service during peak hours, and public transport experienced significant delays. Interruptions were also reported in schools, universities, and businesses, while in Madrid, the strike coincided with a teachers' conflict that has lasted nearly a month. Unions assured that adhesion reached 82% in waste collection and 75% in the energy sector. They also noted a 10% reduction in electricity demand, which they attributed to interruptions in the highest-consuming industries. Participation was lower in healthcare and social services, at 38%, according to data released by the organizing organizations. CEOE stated that "low participation in the strike was observed in most" sectors and argued that the protest was also harming small businesses, which face difficulties hiring workers due to the high cost of housing. A protester kicks the door of a shop covered in stickers that say "Closed due to general strike" during a national general strike in Barcelona, Spain. Joan Mateu Parra - AP The day was also marked by some incidents. Near Mercamadrid, the country's main wholesale market, about 1,000 demonstrators gathered, and confrontations occurred between strike-related blockades and police. CCOO denounced the use of pepper spray and stated that 13 people required medical attention. A police spokesperson confirmed the arrest of one person. A crisis that reached the electoral campaign. The strike is the result of weeks of protests over the rising cost of housing, with the immediate antecedent being the forced eviction in September of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old retiree who died a few days later. Her case became a symbol of the difficulties faced by tenants and triggered a wave of indignation that included a five-week encampment in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid. "The time for politicians is over; we cannot wait any longer. The housing model in this country must change," stated Valeria Racu, spokesperson for the Tenants' Union, one of the central organizations of the mobilization. Demands include limiting rents, strengthening tenant protection, guaranteeing contract renewal, and fighting real estate speculation and tourist apartments. Unions also demand a new agreement on the minimum wage and greater public intervention in the housing market. Activists camp in Madrid's Puerta del Sol during a protest demanding stronger laws to protect tenants. Manu Fernandez - AP The magnitude of the problem is reflected in the prices: the average rent for a 50-square-meter apartment in Madrid was around 1,170 euros per month in October, nearly half of the average gross Spanish salary, which is about 2,460 euros per month across 14 payments. According to the Bank of Spain, the country has a housing deficit of approximately 750,000 homes, a figure that could exceed one million by 2028. "I am 36 years old and still cannot become independent. The rents never stop rising, the price of housing never stops rising, and it is impossible," recounted Jesús González, a Madrid worker in the IT department of a hospital. The political impact. The protest takes place at a delicate moment for Sánchez, whose Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) is trailing the Popular Party (PP) in the polls, amid a series of corruption investigations affecting his circle and the repercussions of the railway accident that killed 69 people at the end of October. Following the parliamentary rejection of a package of measures to curb evictions and ease pressure on rents, the president moved the elections forward, initially scheduled for 2027, to November 29th. This Thursday, the government will attempt to have part of these initiatives approved by the Permanent Chamber, the body that maintains certain parliamentary functions during the dissolution of the chambers. Police spray pepper gas at protesters in Madrid during a national general strike motivated by the country's housing crisis. Francisco Seco - APSánchez defended the call for the strike, assuring that it is not a protest against his administration, but a demand that all administrations respond to a structural problem. He also championed the historical achievements of the labor movement and called for the protection of attained social rights. The right-wing parties, however, questioned the labor action, labeling it electoral. The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, asked unions not to call the strike and maintained that it would be a "serious mistake" to associate the mobilization with Sánchez. His party and Vox argue that the way out of the crisis lies mainly in increasing housing construction and reducing taxes on the sector, rather than expanding state intervention. Agencies AFP, AP, and Reuters