Spain Calls Snap Election After Housing Crisis Symbol Dies
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called a snap general election following nationwide protests over the eviction and subsequent death of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal.
Pedro Sánchez dissolved the Spanish Parliament and called a snap general election for November 29 following a wave of public outrage over the country's housing crisis. The political shift was precipitated by the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner who had lived in her home for 71 years.
Abascal was evicted on September 23 due to property speculation, an event that gained international attention when she was carried from her residence on a stretcher. The incident sparked nationwide protests and pressured the minority left-wing government to evaluate automatic tenancy renewals and stricter restrictions on evictions.
Abascal died Wednesday at the Gregorio Marañón hospital in Madrid. Her case is cited as a turning point in Spanish politics, transforming a local eviction into a catalyst for a national electoral cycle.
