In brief
Elderly tenant Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was forcibly removed from her Madrid flat on 23 September after a steep rent hike that exceeded her pension. Her death, announced by the Madrid Tenants' Union, marks a turning point in Spain’s housing crisis, a crisis that ignited nationwide protests and pressured the coalition government to attempt emergency housing legislation that was ultimately rejected. The protests accelerated a call for early elections, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez set for 29 November. Union officials say Abascal’s case exemplifies the need for continued fighting for tenants’ rights and affordable living.
Maricarmen Abascal, 87, died after being forcibly evicted from her Madrid flat on 23 September, the Madrid Tenants' Union announced. Her eviction had sparked huge protests across Spain over the housing crisis.
Abascal could not afford the rent hike announced by landlord Urbagestión, which was raised from €500 to €2,650, then lowered to €1,650 – still €300 more than her monthly pension. Three previous court orders had blocked her eviction, but the tenant was eventually removed on a stretcher, unable to sign a new agreement as she was in hospital.
The union said Abascal’s death “represents a turning point in Spain’s history” and that the situation should never have happened after a “torturing process.”
The protest movement that followed her eviction grew into a national confrontation, putting pressure on the coalition government to adopt emergency housing legislation that was rejected in Congress last week. The unrest led to a call for early elections, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez scheduled for 29 November.
Union representatives pledged to keep fighting for tenants, echoing Abascal’s own words: “fight, keep fighting for what is yours.” Pedro Sánchez offered condolences, calling the loss “a loss felt by everyone.”
Protesters have continued to occupy Madrid’s Puerta del Sol, and a general strike has been called for 11 November to demand housing reforms.
