Spanish leaders trade blame after Maricarmen Abascal’s death amid housing protests

Spanish political leaders traded accusations on Thursday, October 8, after the death of Maricarmen Abascal, 87, whose eviction from her Madrid home had become a focus of housing protests across Spain. Her death has intensified the dispute over rents and evictions ahead of a snap general election scheduled for November 29. No cause of death has been announced.

Abascal died on Wednesday after being hospitalized for severe anxiety and exhaustion following her September 23 eviction, Reuters reported. Protesters have blamed landlords’ greed for her death, but the published reporting does not establish that the eviction caused it. Their accusation remains separate from the known facts about her hospitalization and death.

The confrontation follows an earlier account of how housing protests prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call an early election. Thursday’s development is the political reaction to Abascal’s death and the renewed demonstrations that followed it.

How Abascal’s eviction became a focus of protests

Abascal had lived for most of her life in her family’s rented apartment in central Madrid, according to the Associated Press. Her eviction struggle made her a symbol for people facing high housing costs. AP reported that she was taken from her home on a stretcher and used a wheelchair; her lawyer did not disclose a cause of death.

Protester María Holgado, 28, told AP that the death had shocked demonstrators but would give them more energy to press their demands for housing rights. Reuters reported that mourners planned a march from Puerta del Sol to Abascal’s former apartment on Thursday evening. Whether the renewed protests will produce policy changes is not yet known.

What Spain’s leaders said after her death

Left-leaning parties criticized conservatives for rejecting measures intended to curb rising rents, while right-wing politicians said Sánchez’s central government had failed to resolve the housing crisis after eight years in power, Reuters reported. People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Sánchez of trying to exploit the issue for political gain before the election.

Madrid’s conservative regional leader, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, blamed Sánchez, pointing out that Abascal was evicted while his government was in power. Opposition leader Manuela Bergerot, of Más Madrid, accused people who put gain above life of responsibility and said Ayuso had laughed at Abascal. Bergerot referred to Ayuso’s September 28 remark: ‘At what age do I get to stop paying my landlords? Let me know.’ These are political accusations, not findings about the cause of death.

Sánchez sent condolences, AP reported. Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida accused him of politicizing the death, saying that he offered condolences himself but would not take part in Sánchez’s election campaign. The exchanges show how quickly Abascal’s case has entered the campaign, though they do not establish what effect it will have on voters.

The dispute reached Madrid’s institutions. Reuters reported that the People’s Party, which holds absolute majorities in the regional and local assemblies, declined to hold a minute of silence for Abascal. Left-wing deputies instead observed one outside City Hall and gave her a 60-second standing ovation during a regional assembly debate.

The housing dispute ahead of the November election

The parties also disagree over how to address housing costs. AP reported that the People’s Party argues rent regulation discourages investment while Spain needs hundreds of thousands of new homes. Parties on the left have criticized conservatives for rejecting decrees designed to curb rents. Those positions frame the argument now unfolding over Abascal’s case.

Reuters reported that a June survey by state pollster CIS found 76.3% of Spaniards supported intervention in the market to guarantee access to housing. Another 79% said the right to housing should take precedence over treating homes as a market commodity. The figures indicate broad concern about housing, but do not measure any electoral effect from Abascal’s death.

Spain’s ombudsman, Ángel Gabilondo, said the housing crisis required greater commitment from every level of government, Reuters reported. His office was preparing a report, and he reiterated proposals including more public housing, restrictions on tourist rentals, greater rent assistance and stronger protections against eviction for vulnerable households.

Political analyst Alejandro Quiroga told AP that Abascal’s death could mobilize progressive voters. That remains an assessment, not an observed result. The confirmed next electoral date is November 29; the cause of Abascal’s death and the longer-term effect of the protests remain unknown.