Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said that he would call an early election on November 29, bringing forward a vote that had been scheduled for April 2027.

Mr Sánchez announced the decision in a televised address on Monday after weekend consultations with his closest advisers. He defended his government’s record in office, insisting that it was time to let the Spanish people have their say.

“It is time for Spaniards to decide what future you want,” the prime minister stated. “It’s up to you now. A quick glance at the horizon shows us that the world is in a very complex era of transformation and transition.”

The Spanish PM, who hailed citizens as brave and compassionate people, added, “I have faith in my fellow citizens because I know you are a brave and compassionate people who rise to meet challenges and are unafraid to be the first, or the only ones, to step up and stand on the right side of history. We will work to earn your trust, to inspire hope, and to win again.”

According to him, his administration is committed to renewing and broadening public support to undertake the reforms needed to reduce inequality in the country.

Mr Sánchez said, “We need to mobilise and win a much larger progressive majority in parliament, one that will allow us to overcome vested interests, deliver new social advances and continue transforming Spain.”

The announcement came hours after Mr Sánchez’s government failed to secure parliamentary backing for two housing-related royal decree laws aimed at easing mounting public pressure over Spain’s housing crisis.

For weeks now, Spanish residents have demanded solutions from the government over housing affordability, staging protests in cities across the country after the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid last month went viral.