At a Glance

• Millions of workers in Spain are on strike in the country's first general strike in 14 years.

• The walkout demands action on the housing crisis and wages.

• It comes less than three weeks before a national election.

Millions of Spanish workers walked off the job Wednesday to press the government to tackle the housing crisis, in a strike expected to disrupt transport, factories, and shops across the eurozone's fourth-largest economy.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Analyst on the Left's Stakes: "The Socialists need for the strike to be a success and for there not to be any violence so that the election campaign can swing back to being about housing." — Oriol Bartomeus, political science professor, Autonomous University of Barcelona.

• Popular Party on the Strike: "This strike is not a general strike; it is an electoral strike." — Miguel Tellado, Popular Party spokesperson.

• Analyst on the Right's Stakes: "The Popular Party and Vox both want the strike to be a flop and to end in scenes of burning dumpsters and shattered shop windows." — Oriol Bartomeus.

• Focus Area: The general strike over housing and wages and its impact on the coming election.

The unions UGT and CCOO reported widespread participation, including 90% in the automotive and port sectors, 85% in the meat industry, 82% in waste collection, and 75% in energy.

Minor incidents were reported, including roadblocks with burning tires in Barcelona and scuffles between picketers and police near Madrid's main wholesale market.

The strike's slogan is "Salaries. Housing. Prices." Housing activists want tourist apartments eliminated, a crackdown on speculation and automatic lease renewals for renters, while the unions seek more government intervention and a new minimum wage agreement.

Average rent in Spain has nearly doubled in a decade. Anger peaked after the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman, known as Maricarmen, in Madrid last month, and her later death.

The protests pushed the government to adopt emergency measures limiting evictions, but right-wing parties refused to ratify them, arguing they would drive properties off the rental market.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez then called the election on October 5. A deadly high-speed train collision that killed 69 people has since dominated the news and weighed on his campaign.

On Thursday, the government will again try to have a reduced interim Parliament ratify the two housing decrees.

The Popular Party and far-right Vox oppose intervention in the housing market beyond incentivizing new construction and say the unions are helping Sánchez, with months of polling showing voters leaning right.

Sánchez defended the right to strike, warning that right-wing parties would bring austerity, while Sumar's Verónica Martínez said the Left needs workers to mobilize.

FYI

Spain's last general strike took place 14 years ago. The far right could be catapulted to power in the coming election, and the Popular Party and Vox already govern together in some Spanish regions.

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