Maricarmen’s death triggers early Spain election and street protests
The death of 87-year-old Maricarmen in Madrid has triggered an early parliamentary election scheduled for November 29, alongside widespread street protests across Spain, portfolio.hu reported. The eviction of the elderly woman, who was forced from the apartment where she had lived for 70 years after a six-year legal battle, set off a wave of national outrage and civil disobedience.
Following her eviction, images of Maricarmen being carried out of her home on a stretcher to be hospitalized circulated widely in both domestic and international media. She had spent 15 days in the hospital before passing away. The property ownership had been acquired in 2020 by a corporate entity that subsequently raised the monthly rent to an amount far exceeding her pension.
The Eviction Backlash and Nationwide Protests
Public outcry over the eviction galvanized civil society groups, leading to demonstrations and the establishment of tent encampments in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol square. The protest movement quickly expanded beyond the capital, with similar encampments appearing in Barcelona, Bilbao, Zaragoza, and Sevilla. Under intense public pressure, the company that owned the apartment reached an agreement with Maricarmen’s legal representatives that would have allowed her to return, with rent capped at 30 percent of her pension. However, that historical agreement arrived too late.
Organizations coordinating the demonstrations issued a statement emphasizing that the tragedy was entirely avoidable. They noted that the ensuing mass protests, tent cities, early elections, and upcoming labor strikes mark a historic turning point, but one that demanded too high a price. Protesters have maintained their encampments despite the dissolution of parliament and the scheduling of early elections for November 29, after housing reform decrees failed to win legislative approval.
Trade Unions Call National Strike Before November Election
The political crisis deepened when lawmakers rejected government decrees aimed at resolving systemic housing pressures. Spain’s largest trade unions have called a national general strike for November 11, demanding guaranteed fair housing standards and commensurate wage adjustments. Demonstrators continue to occupy public spaces in major cities, insisting on structural reforms to rental markets and tenant protections as the November 29 election date approaches.
