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‘We don’t want you’: Spain’s PM rejects far-left Podemos for new government

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Thursday that he would not accept far-left Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias being part of his government.

Published: 18 July 2019 16:59 CEST
'We don't want you': Spain's PM rejects far-left Podemos for new government
Pedro Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias in talks at Moncloa. Photo: AFP

Following an inconclusive early general election in April, Sanchez's Socialists need the support of Podemos to win a confidence vote in parliament next week and be sworn in for a second term.

Iglesias has sought a coalition deal with the Socialists in which he gets a cabinet post in a new Socialist government in exchange for Podemos' support.   

“A government which includes Iglesias would not work, it would be paralysed,” Sanchez said during an interview with private TV cannel La Sexta.

 “The main obstacle… is the participation of Iglesias in the government,” he added when asked why the talks between the two parties had so far failed to reach an agreement.

Sanchez cited as an example his disagreements with Iglesias over the northeastern region of Catalonia, which in 2017 carried out a failed attempt to break away from Spain, sparking the country's worst political crisis in 
decades.   

Sanchez's Socialist party won 123 seats in the April polls, the most by any party but short of an absolute majority in the 350-seat assembly.    

To be sworn in for another term, he needs the backing of Podemos, which won 42 seats, and that of smaller regional parties to win an absolute majority of votes in a confidence vote in parliament on Tuesday.

If he loses that vote, he would then face a second confidence vote two days later when he will require only a simple majority — more “yes” than “no” votes.

Podemos will later on Thursday release the results of a consultation of party members as to whether the formation should support Sanchez in the confidence vote.

If Sanchez loses the second confidence vote, a two-month period would open during which parties would have to resolve the stalemate — failing which new elections would be automatically triggered.

These would be Spain's fourth general elections in four years as the country's increasingly fragmented political landscape makes it harder to form stable majorities.

Podemos in March 2016 voted against Sanchez in a confidence vote, which triggered a general election a few months later.

ANALYSIS: Can Pedro Sanchez win backing for second term?

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PROPERTY

Spain’s plan to limit temporary accommodation rejected

Spain's left-wing government had planned to tighten its grip on temporary accommodation rentals as a potential means of making more long-term rentals available, but the country's right-wing parties on Tuesday rejected the proposal in parliament.

Published: 18 September 2024 11:53 CEST
Spain's plan to limit temporary accommodation rejected

If passed, the new law would have meant that anyone who wanted to temporarily rent a property would have to explain why and provide a valid reason.

For example, students or researchers would have to show the research contract or course booking to show it would only last a few months.

It would have also meant that if more than six months passed or more than two consecutive contracts issued, it will have automatically become a long-term habitual residence instead.

On Tuesday September 17th, the proposal was ultimately rejected in the Spanish Congress, voted against by Spain’s three main right-wing parties – Catalan nationalists Junts, Spain’s main opposition party the PP and far-right Vox.

The aim in part was to try and rectify the controversial Housing Law, which came into effect in 2023.

In most people’s eyes, the legislation has failed as landlords have found several loopholes to get around the restrictions, prices have continued to increase and the stock of rental properties is even more diminished.

READ ALSO: Has Spain’s Housing Law completely failed to control rents?

As a result of the fear of heightened regulation for landlords, many have left the traditional market and turned to tourist rentals or temporary accommodation instead, which are far more lucrative. 

This has had the opposite effect, increasing rental prices instead of stabilising or decreasing them.

READ MORE: Why landlords in Spain leave their flats empty rather than rent long-term

Seasonal contracts and room rentals allow landlords to raise prices every six or nine months and they not subject to the price limitations of the housing law.

The idea of this new law was to try and set the maximum duration of a temporary rental contracts at six months in order to avoid this, but it could have potentially also caused problems for many who need this type accommodation such as students, digital nomads, those living here on a short term basis etc. 

During the debate, Sumar’s spokesperson, Íñigo Errejón, defended the law saying that it is a “solvent”, “fair” and “precise” proposal, which will help “correct an abuse” and “close the gap through which “Landlords can use to avoid the LAU (Urban Leasing Law) and rent regulation”.  

Far-left party Podemos blamed the ruling PSOE for having left this “hole” in the housing law, but also agreed that the restrictions on temporary accommodation were needed to try and rectify this.

READ ALSO: Has Spain’s Housing Law completely failed to control rents?

Junts (Catalonia’s main pro-independence party) and the PNV, the Basque nationalist party, were firmly against it. They agreed that the problem must be solved and that “accessible decent housing was needed”, but raised the situation of students, interns, residents or workers who need housing for flexible periods.

Junts party member Marta Madrenas warned of the harmful effects that this limitation on temporary rentals can have for university cities such as Girona.

Vox and the PP meanwhile argued that they don’t want to help cover up the mistakes made by the left with regards to the Housing Law.

Vox deputy Ignacio Hoces stated that the increase in seasonal rentals has occurred due to the “failure” of the Housing Law, since this has caused rental prices to “skyrocketed” by 13 percent and the supply to be reduced by 15 percent.

Temporary accommodation, referred to as alquiler temporal or alquiler de temporada in Spanish, is considered to be anything that’s longer than a month but shorter than a year, middle ground between short-term and long-term rentals. It is also referred to as monthly accommodation or seasonal accommodation.

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