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Rufián Criticises Junts Over Housing Votes
On Sunday 8th November 2026, Gabriel Rufián, lead candidate for Esquerra Republicana (ERC) in the upcoming 29th November general elections, accused Junts of contradicting its patriotic image by voting with the conservative PP and far-right Vox to block housing safeguards for working-class Catalans. Speaking at an event in Badalona, Rufián highlighted that some Junts deputies have ties to real estate companies managing apartments, which he claims influences their opposition to tenant protections. "There are Junts deputies with real estate companies that manage apartments," he said, arguing this creates a conflict of interest when voting on housing legislation.
Opposition to Rental Protections
Rufián referred to multiple parliamentary votes in which Junts joined PP and Vox to reject measures such as the extension of rental contracts and eviction bans for vulnerable tenants. According to a statement from ERC dated 29 April 2026, Junts opposed a decree that would have allowed nearly three million people to renew their leases, voting against it alongside PP and Vox. Another ERC statement from 26 February 2026 noted that Junts, PP and Vox collectively defeated the so-called "social shield" royal decree, which included protections against evictions where no alternative housing exists, particularly targeting large landlords. The rejection also ended the electricity social bonus and protections against utility disconnections for low-income households. In Catalonia, 160,000 families rely on this electricity subsidy.
"Here, no one is talking about expropriation or zero rent caps. This legal text gave a vital opportunity to many people living in fear of not being able to pay for their homes,"
, Gabriel Rufián, speaking in Congress on 29 April 2026.
Criticism of PSC and PSOE
Rufián also criticised the PSC and PSOE for insufficient commitment to housing reform. He argued that the PSOE must govern under the influence of pro-sovereignty forces and called for greater strength for ERC in the next Spanish government to push for housing and social justice. ERC has repeatedly pushed for legislative action on rental regulation, including a bill to close loopholes in temporary rental contracts that enable speculation. Pilar Vallugera, ERC spokesperson on housing, cited data from the Barcelona Metropolitan Housing Observatory showing that in the first quarter of 2024, temporary rentals accounted for 25% of the market in Catalonia and nearly 40% in Barcelona. She challenged right-wing parties: "They must choose whether they stand with speculators or with working people."
Regional Parliament Actions
At the Catalan Parliament, a motion by the CUP to establish a commission for a new Urban Leases Law (LAU), including a ban on evicting vulnerable people without stable housing alternatives, was rejected on Thursday. The proposal received support only from Comuns and CUP, while Junts, PP, Vox and AC voted against it. The PSC-Units and ERC abstained.
Sources: VilaWeb.
