Spain holds first general strike in 14 years over housing crisis ahead of election

Spain held its first general strike in 14 years on November 11, 2026, with millions walking out over soaring housing costs less than three weeks before snap elections called by PM Pedro Sánchez after parliament rejected his housing reforms. AENA reported ~5% of flights canceled. Riots in Barcelona and Madrid followed peaceful marches, with 39 arrests. The strike was galvanized by Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner evicted after a proposed 275% rent increase, who died October 7, 2026.

Spain general strike

• ▪Spain held its first general strike in 14 years
• ▪About 5 per cent of flights on November 11, 2026 were canceled at airports across Spain, according to Spain's airport operator AENA
• ▪Millions of Spanish workers shut down businesses and public transportation during the November 11, 2026 general strike
• ▪The November 11, 2026 Spain general strike was organized by Spain's two traditional major unions, CCOO and UGT, with leadership from a grassroots housing activist group
• ▪The November 11, 2026 Spain general strike was organized under the slogan 'Salaries. Housing. Prices.'

Housing affordability crisis

• ▪Unions organizing the November 11, 2026 Spain general strike demanded more public housing and a new minimum wage agreement
• ▪The average rent in Spain has almost doubled in the last decade
• ▪Protesters in the November 11, 2026 Spain general strike sought automatic renewals of leases to protect renters

Maricarmen Abascal eviction

• ▪Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old pensioner, was evicted from the Madrid flat
• ▪Maricarmen Abascal's eviction was triggered by a proposed 275 per cent rent increase she was reportedly unable to afford
• ▪Maricarmen Abascal died as announced by the Madrid Tenants' Union

Protest violence

• ▪Police made 39 arrests across Spain for strike-related incidents before the late-day clashes on November 11, 2026
• ▪Riots broke out in Barcelona and Madrid during the Spain general strike
• ▪Protesters in Barcelona and Madrid smashed storefronts, set bins on fire, and launched fireworks at riot police on November 11, 2026
• ▪Spanish police used pepper spray against crowds during the November 11, 2026 protest clashes in Barcelona and Madrid

Political fallout

• ▪Spain's parliament rejected proposed housing reforms put forward by the Sanchez government, sparking fresh protests across the country
• ▪Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called a snap election after his government suffered a major legislative defeat over emergency housing measures

Strike participation dispute

• ▪Housing activists said 400,000 marchers filled Barcelona during the November 11, 2026 general strike, while the Barcelona city government said 55,000 turned out
• ▪Spanish government officials estimated 120,000 people turned out in Madrid for the November 11, 2026 general strike despite pouring rain
• ▪CCOO and UGT reported work stoppages of 90 per cent in the automotive and port sectors, 85 per cent in the meat industry, 82 per cent in waste collection, and 75 per cent in the energy sector during the November 11, 2026 Spain general strike
• ▪Both unions and CEOE agreed that worker participation in the November 11, 2026 Spain general strike was higher in heavy industry and transportation than in retail and restaurants
• ▪Spain's leading business owners group CEOE called the November 11, 2026 general strike a 'failure', saying overall worker participation reached only 5 per cent
• ▪CCOO secretary-general Unai Sordo said the November 11, 2026 Spain general strike exceeded labor unions' expectations