MADRID, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Spain's government suffered a setback on Friday as Congress rejected its two decrees aimed at easing the housing crisis and curbing property speculation.
The first decree was defeated by 178 votes to 172, with the People's Party (PP), Vox and the Catalan separatist party Junts per Catalunya voting against it. The second was rejected by 184 votes to 166, with the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) and Coalicion Canaria also opposing it.
The first decree included restrictions on speculative property purchases and protections against eviction for vulnerable people without alternative accommodation until the end of 2030. The second sought to introduce automatic renewal of rental contracts to strengthen tenants' security.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government introduced the measures following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman, from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for 70 years.
Her eviction sparked outrage among tenants' rights groups and protests across Spain, including an encampment in Madrid's Puerta del Sol that began on Sept. 26.
During the debate, Sanchez urged lawmakers to "do the right thing," warning that "history will judge you sooner than you think and much harder than you imagine."
Following the votes, protesters who had gathered near Congress returned to Puerta del Sol, while some housing groups urged a general strike. ■