Business owners in central Madrid boarded up shop windows on Wednesday as Spain faced its first national general strike in 14 years. Police vans and officers secured major department stores and entrances while angry protesters blocked the city’s central Gran Via over a severe lack of affordable housing.
Catalyst for the Nationwide Protests
The strike was triggered by the September eviction of 87-year-old Maria del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, from her home of seventy years. She lost her residence because she could not afford a fivefold increase in her monthly rent of 500 euros ($555), bringing public attention to a deepening urban housing crisis.
Antonio, a teacher participating in the demonstrations, told Al Jazeera that housing is a fundamental problem consuming most of a working person’s wages. Demonstrators are demanding lower housing costs alongside higher wages to combat the economic pressure.
According to the country’s youth council, a young person would need to spend 98.7 percent of their monthly salary to rent a place independently. Arturo, a participant in his mid-30s, shared that he still lives with his parents because renting alone is too expensive. After factoring in food and basic living expenses, he noted that residents are left with barely 100 euros ($110), making life unsustainable in the long run.
Broader Economic and Political Impact
Antonio, who teaches in Madrid where educators have been on strike since the start of the term, emphasized the need for social consciousness. He stated that citizens must stand up for everyone’s rights because conditions cannot improve for anyone unless they improve for all.
Data from the Bank of Spain indicates that 750,000 new homes are necessary to satisfy current demand, a figure that could climb to one million, contrasted with only 92,000 homes built in 2025.
The housing crisis threatens the political future of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. He called a snap general election for November 29 after his minority government failed to pass parliamentary legislation that would have introduced tenant protections, leaving Sanchez’s Socialist Party trailing right-wing and far-right parties in the polls.
