Transportation and other public services in Spain were significantly affected as the major unions called for the first nationwide strike in 14 years due to housing and the high cost of living.
Protests were also planned for later on Wednesday, with Madrid and Barcelona expected to host the biggest gatherings. Spanish voters are expected to cast ballots in parliamentary elections on November 29.
Quick Facts About Spain’s Housing Crisis
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What Happened | Nationwide protests and a general strike |
| Location | Madrid, Catalonia and other Spanish cities |
| Date | 11 November 2026 |
| Main Issue | Rising rents and housing affordability |
| Key Figure | 87 year old Maricarmen Abascal |
| Average Madrid Rent | €1,170 per month |
| Main Demand | Affordable housing and lower living costs |
Spain Protests Over Housing Crisis
The major industrial centers of Madrid and the northeastern part of Catalonia experienced some of the most severe disruptions on Wednesday, with traffic being stopped on a number of major thoroughfares.
According to Spanish news, estate agencies had experienced attacks on their offices, and the interior ministry reported that scores of people had been imprisoned for various crimes.
Spain Faces Housing Crisis and Strikes
The capital’s rental costs have skyrocketed in recent years. According to the real estate website Idealista, the average monthly cost of a 50 square meter apartment in Madrid was €1,170 in October, whereas the average gross monthly salary in Spain is roughly €2,460 (£2,056).
In the northern Spanish city of Gijon, tires were set on fire.
Last month, socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for early elections after his housing reform package was rejected by parliament.
Spanish Government Backs Housing Strike
General strikes have not occurred in Spain since 2012, while Mariano Rajoy’s conservative administration was in power.
Workers have even been urged to quit and demand affordable housing by Sánchez and his ministers.Your eight-hour workday. Your retirement. Your public health care system… He praised individuals who participated in earlier strikes on social media, writing, “These were collective conquests.”
Political Clash Over Spain’s General Strike
In contrast, the conservative People’s Party (PP) has charged that the administration is trying to use the strike as a political tool.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the PP, referred to the unions as “trash” and “mafia” and dubbed the countrywide strike “nonsense”. Feijoo’s party is in the lead in the polls, and party spokesperson Miguel Tellado accused the administration of taking advantage of the strike to caution voters against permitting the formation of a right-wing government, which appears to be the most likely result of the election on November 29.
Despite working in sales, he has been volunteering for a housing union that aims to defend tenants and educate them about their rights.
Rising Housing Costs Fuel Strike Discontent
“You have to collect an insane amount of money to be able to buy a house,” he says, seeing no way to climb the real estate ladder. Therefore, it is not feasible with current salaries.”
He thinks it is “completely impossible” to buy somewhere given the current rent and purchasing pricing.
Miguel Garrido, the vice-president of the CEOE, the largest business organization in Spain, criticized the strike, claiming that companies had little to do with housing costs.This is a political strike, not a labor strike, and it is directly related to the early calling of elections, he stated.
