Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday announced two new decrees aimed at placating nationwide protests over Spain’s housing crisis, after parliament’s rejection of similar measures last week led him to call a snap election.
Housing has dominated Spanish politics after the eviction of an 87-year-old Madrid pensioner from her life-long home last month triggered mass demonstrations, with hundreds of people maintaining a camp in the capital.
The new decrees, which Sánchez said “maintain the essence” of the rejected laws, will be examined in a special parliamentary council while parliament is dissolved before the November 29th vote, potentially increasing the likelihood of their approval.
The Socialist leader said the 21 measures in the new decrees included “some very positive additions” on the unsuccessful laws.
READ MORE: Spain’s government aims to re-approve housing laws before election
The Standing Council allows the government to present decree-laws and provides continuity to parliament when the chamber is dissolved ahead of elections and before a new one is convened.
Its 69 members, which include MPs and the speaker, reflect the size of the parliamentary groups and may give Sanchez a better chance of passing at least one of the decrees.
The support of pro-business Catalan separatists Junts, which voted down both measures last Friday, would no longer be decisive as the party only has one MP in the council.
Basque separatists PNV, which also has one MP in the council, backed one decree that included greater protections against evictions but rejected the second that automatically renewed tenant contracts.
READ ALSO: How the PP and Vox say they’ll fix Spain’s housing crisis