Hereu Named as Lead Candidate
Jordi Hereu, Spain's Minister of Industry and former mayor of Barcelona, will lead the Partit dels Socialistes de Catalunya (PSC) candidacy for the Barcelona constituency in the upcoming general election on 29 November. The decision follows Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's announcement of a snap election after his government's housing reform package was defeated in parliament on Friday. The PSC activated its candidacy procedures on Monday morning, with formal approval expected at the party's executive committee meeting on Tuesday and national council session over the weekend. Official proclamation of the candidates is scheduled for next week. While the party has not yet confirmed the move publicly, Hereu has expressed willingness to return from political retirement for the campaign.
Replacing Batet Amid Political Shift
Hereu will replace Meritxell Batet, the former president of Congress and previous PSC lead candidate, who stepped back from frontline politics after the 2023 elections. In June, Batet was appointed president of Fundación Avanza, the PSOE's think tank. The PSC contributed 19 seats in the last legislature, playing a decisive role in Sánchez’s initial investiture. However, despite expectations of broader representation, only one ministerial position went to the Catalan socialists, awarded to Hereu as Minister of Industry.
The Spanish right and far-right, together with Junts, have blocked progress on rights and quality of life,” said Lluïsa Moret, PSC spokesperson.
She pointed to Friday’s parliamentary defeat of key housing decrees as evidence of systemic obstruction: “What happened on Friday is the latest expression of the blockade against the most vulnerable, despite popular outcry. It was very dramatic.”
National Context: Snap Election Over Housing Crisis
Sánchez called the early vote after his minority government failed to secure cross-party support for measures including an eviction ban and rent controls. Public anger had intensified following the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid whose rent increased from €500 to €2,650, later reduced to €1,650, still exceeding her monthly pension. Nationwide protests drew over 70,000 people to the streets of Madrid on Saturday, according to government figures. Rents across Spain have nearly doubled in the past decade, while home prices have risen by about 90%, data from real estate site Idealista shows. In a televised address, Sánchez said Spaniards must choose between joining a 'far-right wave' or continuing on a path of 'openness, social justice and environmental responsibility'. He acknowledged shortcomings in delivering past promises, stating: “I also know that part of that social majority is dissatisfied today.” Polls suggest the conservative People’s Party (PP), potentially allied with Vox, holds a lead ahead of the 29 November ballot.
Reported by elpais.com, bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com, dw.com, Al Jazeera Staff, AFP, publico.es, Zamantika, El País Barcelona.
