Snap election warning issued in Congress
Gabriel Rufián, spokesperson for Esquerra Republicana (ERC) in Congress, has urged Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to act with "a cool head" amid speculation the government may call early general elections. Speaking on Friday 02 October 2026 ahead of an extraordinary plenary session, Rufián warned that Sánchez lacks support from parties to his left if he dissolves parliament. "Le pido a Moncloa cabeza fría y que entiendan que esto no va de ser una ambulancia o emergencia, sino que hay que entender que no tienen nada a su izquierda para poder sumar", Rufián said, according to Europa Press and Diario Dia reports from the Congressional arrival.
Housing decrees at centre of political crisis
The remarks follow confirmation from Moncloa sources that Sánchez is considering advancing elections, potentially to November 2026, after the government's two housing royal decrees faced likely defeat in Congress. The measures, which include a proposed ban on evictions until 2030, were rejected by opposition parties including PP, Vox, UPN and Junts. Rufián criticised Junts for opposing the housing legislation, accusing the party of "paying debts" through its stance. He had previously denounced what he called "blackmail from the Catalan right" after Junts disclosed ongoing negotiations with the government over housing policy, according to a Democrata report published on 24 September.
The crisis of housing has exploded. If they don’t fix it, this government will be destroyed by it.
, Gabriel Rufián, ERC spokesperson, as reported by Mundo Deportivo Earlier on Friday, large protests continued in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, sparked by the eviction of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old woman with a disability who had lived under a protected tenancy in Retiro for 70 years. Demonstrations have since spread to cities including Barcelona, Seville and Málaga.
Reported by lasexta.com, democrata.es, mundodeportivo.com, Europa Press, Diario Dia, Newsroom Infobae, europapress.es, La Sexta Barcelona.
