“General strikes are usually called against governments,” and, “in this case, it is called against the opposition.”
The words of Former socialist Deputy Prime Minister, María Jesús Montero.
Rest in Peace, Maricarmen
87 year old Maricarmen Abascal, who was forcibly evicted from the apartment she had lived in for 71 years, died in hospital on Wednesday 7th October 2026. Medics had diagnosed her with exhaustion on admission to hospital to which she was taken on a stretcher from her home; she never lived to take advantage of the agreement for her return there.
The lengthy ordeal had badly affected her physical condition in the months leading to the eviction. She had struggled to eat and lost muscle mass, saying two days before being removed from her home “It has affected me in everything. I’m not myself anymore,” . She died with a family member at her side.
Her death sparked even more protest with a march from the housing protest camp in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol to the Congress building, as well as a gathering outside her former apartment block where an impromptu altar with flowers and candles has been created by wellwishers.
Earlier in the day, the two major Spanish trade unions CCOO, UGT, also supported by others CGT, CNT, Solidaridad Obrera, Co.Bas, and the renters unions called for a 24-hour general strike on November 11. This would be the first general strike in the country for 14 years.
Political reaction
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent condolences, adding “We feel this loss as our own“.
Whilst leader of the centre right People’s Party , Alberto Nùñez Feijóo also lamented the death, he tweeted adding “No campaigning, no political parties, no self-serving exploitation”. His compatriots then vetoed a minute of silence for Maricarmen in the following morning’s plenary session of the Madrid Regional Assembly called for by the socialist members. Left wing members then decided to hold the silence in an outer atrium of the regional parliament prior to the morning session.
Housing is political
The context is firmly political: politicians from centre right People’s Party, far right Vox, and right wing independentist Junts overturned the two previous housing decrees.
The Government has approved them again and they will be voted on on October 16 by the Permanent Deputation (a special constitutional body that keeps the legislative branch running during intersessions or when Parliament is dissolved). The parties that supported the decrees hold 35 of its seats and the opposing parties 34, so the outcome is expected to be close.
The new decrees keep the 21 measures set out in the original package. The main addition is a €10 billion financing line, managed by the Official Credit Institute (ICO), offering interest-free loans of up to €50,000 towards the purchase of a first home. The decrees, if ratified, would take effect on 15 November 2026, two weeks prior to the General Election on November 29th.
Be the first to comment