Madrid mourns the death of an 87-year-old Spanish woman. Photos and videos
People took to the streets of Madrid in memory of the deceased 87-year-old Maricarmen. Her eviction sparked protests that have been ongoing since late September and have already forced authorities to call early elections. Showing footage from the capital of Spain
Thousands of people took part in a demonstration organized by the Union of Tenants in Madrid on October 8. The participants of the action walked from the spontaneous tent camp in the central square of Puerta del Sol to the house where Maria del Carmen (Maricarmen) Abascal, who died the day before, lived for more than 70 years. To honor her memory, the gathered left flowers, candles, notes and children's drawings at the building. Protesters also blamed "greedy" homeowners for the woman's death, Reuters reported.
Maricarmen died at the age of 87 on October 7 in hospital, where she was moved after being evicted from a rented apartment in Madrid on September 23. Behind the eviction of the pensioner was the investment fund Urbagestión, which the woman unsuccessfully sued because of the increase in rent. She could not return to her home, although she achieved this right in the hospital.
The eviction of Maricarmen caused widespread public outcry and prompted large-scale protests in Spain due to housing shortages and rapid rent growth. The worsening housing crisis also prompted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to dissolve parliament and call early elections for November 29. The move comes in response to the failure in parliament of government proposals to tackle the crisis, including suspending forced evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, limiting rent growth and extending leases.
On October 6, Sanchez announced that the government had approved 21 urgent measures to address the housing crisis. Among them is the simplification of the procedure for renting or buying new housing and the extension of measures to protect vulnerable residents from eviction. In addition, the authorities plan to create a fund of 10 billion euros to provide interest-free loans of up to 50 thousand euros for the purchase of first homes, as well as subsidies for construction.
According to the Associated Press (AP), these measures are similar to those previously rejected by the 350-seat Congress, but now after the dissolution of parliament, a temporary legislature of 69 members will approve the government's proposals - and Sanchez will have 35 votes to succeed.
Senior researcher at the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, associate professor of RANEPA Georgy Filatov told RBC that in Spain, evictions of people from their homes often occur. The expert also noted a very strong increase in rental prices in the country due to high demand, caused by tourism and the influx of migrants, as well as weak programs for mass construction of affordable housing.
