Sanchez mulls early election after housing crisis measures defeated in Congress

The Spanish Premier Pedro Sánchez is under renewed pressure after his government was defeated twice in Congress today over emergency measures aimed at tackling the housing crisis.

The votes have revived speculation about an early general election, with November 29th being discussed as a possible polling date.

The measures included protections for vulnerable tenants and extensions to rental contracts.

Pedro Sanchez's minority government was defeated after Catalan party Junts joined the Partido Popular, Vox and UPN in voting against them.

Opposition Leader, alberto Nuñez Feijóo says voters should now have their say.

Pedro Sánchez had already said he would consider bringing forward the next general election if the measures were defeated.

He has not made a decision and is expected to consider his options over the weekend.

November 29th is the date being discussed if he decides to go to the polls.

That would come just over two weeks before the European Parliament is due to consider its consent to the UK-EU Treaty on Gibraltar, with December 14th currently listed as the indicative date.

The Treaty has been provisionally applied since July.

The timing means a possible Spanish election would coincide with the final stages of the EU's ratification process, although the two processes are separate.