Video: @malaslenguastve, @adacolau / IG
Colau issues warning over social climate
Former Barcelona mayor Ada Colau has warned Carles Puigdemont that his return to Catalonia will be met with public backlash due to Junts’ rejection of two government-backed housing decrees. Speaking on the TV3 programme Cafè d’idees, Colau said citizens would demand accountability from Puigdemont, whose party voted against the measures in Congress on 2 October 2026.
Housing decrees defeated in Congress
The two decrees, approved by Spain’s Council of Ministers on 2 October, aimed to extend rental contracts automatically and strengthen eviction protections for vulnerable tenants. They also sought to restrict property purchases by investment funds, commonly referred to as 'vulture funds'. However, both were rejected in the Spanish Congress of Deputies, with Junts voting alongside the PP and Vox. The first decree was defeated by 178 votes to 172, and the second by 184 to 166, according to reports from Spain in English.
Junts defends vote, cites small landlords
Junts justified its opposition by arguing the decrees failed to protect small property owners and did not effectively curb speculative acquisition. The PNV split its vote, backing the first measure but rejecting the second. Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez had urged support, stating that 90% of Junts’ proposed amendments were already included in the final text, as reported by Euronews.
History will judge you more harshly than you imagine,
, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, addressing Congress before the vote
Political fallout ahead of November elections
The rejection has intensified political tensions ahead of the early general elections scheduled for 29 November 2026. Colau accused Junts of ignoring internal party dissent, noting that a significant faction supported approving the measures. She welcomed Puigdemont’s return but insisted it must come with public explanation.
Gemma Geis, Junts’ candidate for mayor of Girona, dismissed Colau’s remarks with a single word: 'Shame.' The exchange underscores growing polarization in Catalan politics, with housing policy and the return of exiled leaders emerging as central campaign issues. The Constitutional Court is expected to approve the amnesty law for leaders of the 2017 independence process shortly, paving the way for Puigdemont’s legal return. The Supreme Court would then formally apply the ruling, allowing him to re-enter Spain without arrest.
Reported by en.ara.cat, spainenglish.com, euronews.com, Catalan News, ibtimes.es, theolivepress.es, Jaime Barrionuevo of, rtve.es, Al Jazeera Staff, CiberCuba Editorial Team, elcatalan.es.
