Spain: Housing crisis prompts general strike

Key Points:

• Workers across Spain participated in the first general strike in 14 years amid a worsening cost of living and housing crisis, with protests occurring despite stormy weather and some incidents of police using pepper spray in Madrid.
• The housing crisis, highlighted by the eviction and death of an elderly woman in Madrid, has led to a snap election scheduled for November 29, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government struggles to pass renter-friendly legislation blocked by opposition parties.
• Spain faces a significant housing shortage, with an estimated deficit of 750,000 homes expected to exceed one million by 2028, and average rents consuming nearly all of young people's salaries, exacerbating the affordability crisis.
• The strike, supported by Sanchez's government as a defense of rights, has been criticized by opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo as politically motivated, with some viewing the strike as an "election strike" designed to benefit the current administration.
• In addition to housing issues, rail workers launched a strike over infrastructure safety concerns, making both the housing crisis and deteriorating infrastructure central topics ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.