#SpainWatch🇪🇸: Today, millions of workers joined in Spain's FIRST general strike in 14 years. They're protesting SOARING housing costs.
SOCIALIST PM SÁNCHEZ = TOAST. pic.twitter.com/0BQPvsBBWP
— Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) November 12, 2026
Spain has seen its first general strike in 14 years, with hundreds of thousands protesting housing costs and low wages. Rents have climbed roughly 80% over the past decade, leaving younger workers particularly squeezed. The protests targeted governments across the political spectrum, not just the party currently in power.
Parliament narrowly approved a housing package by 35 votes to 34. It extends eviction protections for vulnerable tenants, freezes certain rents, restricts some property purchases and imposes a 10% tax on tourist rentals. A separate proposal for automatic lease renewals and steep penalties for landlords was rejected. The conservative Popular Party has promised to repeal the measures if it wins the November 29 election.
Spain’s problem is not simply a shortage of affordable apartments. It is a fight over landlords, tourism, investment, wages, construction and the political limits of rent controls. The government has passed a package by one vote, but the next election could undo it. Meanwhile, the people paying the rent still need somewhere to live.
https://apnews.com/article/d73fcfb03e4d13e46da6b9762810a450
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