The PSOE has placed housing and assistance to families among the main priorities of its election program for the general elections on 29 November next. The Socialists propose allocating annually 1% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to guarantee access to housing, expanding the public and protected housing stock and creating a state benefit for child-rearing that reaches households with children under the age of majority. The measures are part of the document that the party of Pedro Sánchez will present this Sunday in Alcorcón (Madrid), at one of the central events of its campaign to achieve re-election.
As El País advances, the commitment on housing aims to raise the share of protected housing in Spain to 8% over the next four years, with the goal of moving closer to the European average. Currently, the Spanish housing stock stands at around 4%, according to the figures used by the Socialists, so fulfilling this promise would mean doubling its weight. Using as a reference the 2025 GDP, which reached 1.69 trillion euros, 1% would represent around 16.9 billion euros per year. However, the actual amount will depend on the evolution of the economy and on how the commitment is budgeted, with no details yet on what portion would correspond to new funds.
The proposal comes after a legislature marked by the difficulties of approving new housing measures and by pressure from rental prices. Last Thursday, the Standing Committee of the Congress ratified the Government measures aimed at extending certain lease contracts for two years and limiting increases to 2%, in addition to maintaining protection against certain evictions. The PSOE now intends to incorporate new, more wide-ranging actions into its program for the next legislature, with special attention to increasing affordable housing and to fiscal intervention on properties that are not used as a usual residence.
A new tax for large property owners and real estate funds
One of the main novelties of the program is the creation of a progressive tax on certain homes owned by large owners and investment funds. The PSOE’s stated objective is to encourage these properties to be used for affordable residential rentals and to fiscally penalize those uses which, in the view of the socialists, contribute to driving up market prices.
The measure would affect homes of large owners that remain empty, are used for tourism purposes, or are rented at prices considered abusive, according to information provided in advance by El País. Sources from Ferraz specify that the tax would not be aimed at small property owners, but at the accumulation of properties for speculative purposes. However, the tax rates, the thresholds for application, and the criteria that would make it possible to determine which rental is considered abusive have not yet been defined.
The proposal forms part of a broader strategy to increase the supply of affordable housing, although its implementation would depend on future regulation and on parliamentary majorities. It would also remain to be assessed how it would be coordinated with the taxes and surcharges that different administrations can already apply to vacant housing or to housing designated for certain uses.
A state benefit for childrearing for eight million minors
The second major social commitment of the program is the creation of a state benefit for childrearing intended for all households with minor children, with a redistributive tax design that allows reinforcing the assistance received by families with fewer resources. The initiative aims to combat child poverty and help families with the expenses associated with caring for and maintaining their children.
The PSOE is thereby reviving a proposal that did not end up being implemented during the legislature: a universal benefit of 200 euros per month for each child under 18 years of age. However, the approach set out now in the program, according to El País, does not expressly specify that amount for all beneficiaries, but instead establishes the creation of a state aid with a progressive system. Therefore, it cannot yet be taken as confirmed that all families will receive exactly 200 euros per month.
The announced design includes additional protection for low-rent households, integrated in the Child Benefit Supplement (CAPI), a benefit that already exists and is linked to the minimum vital income. Currently, this supplement offers amounts ranging between 57.50 and 115 euros per month, depending on the age of the minors and on the economic requirements of each household unit.
The intention of the Socialists is for the new benefit to reach approximately eight million children and adolescents living in Spain, although its financing, the method of payment, tax treatment, and its compatibility with other family benefits are still pending. The PSOE presents this initiative as a tool to reduce inequalities from childhood and to provide financial support for raising children, especially among households with the greatest difficulties.
Taxes on multinationals and a debate about artificial intelligence
The program also includes tax proposals aimed at large companies and activities linked to new technologies. The Socialists defend a minimum effective taxation for multinational groups, especially in the digital economy, in line with the international agreements promoted by the OECD and the United Nations.
In this section, the PSOE proposes opening an international debate on the possibility of taxing the tokens used by artificial intelligence models. The aim would be for part of the economic value generated through these technologies to help finance the response to their social, labor, and environmental consequences. For now, it is a proposal intended to spur international discussion, not a tax that has been approved or a tax figure whose operation is defined.
The regulation of artificial intelligence is one of the issues that Sánchez has incorporated into his political discourse over the last few months. The president has defended the need to set limits on the power of the large technology platforms and to ensure that the development of these tools does not increase economic inequalities.
The PSOE sets as its goal 81% renewable electricity generation in 2030
Another of the program’s priorities is accelerating the rollout of renewable energies to reach 81% of electricity generation by 2030. The Socialists are betting on expanding wind and photovoltaic capacity, with the argument of reducing dependence on foreign energy and containing electricity costs.
According to the data from Red Eléctrica collected by El País, renewable sources accounted for 55.5% of Spanish electricity generation in 2025, a figure that rose to 56.6% when self-consumption is included. Achieving the announced goal would therefore mean increasing their share considerably over the next four years.
The PSOE wants the new projects to be developed preferably in "Renewable Acceleration Zones", selected to reduce conflicts with agricultural and livestock activities and to protect biodiversity. The proposal responds to the tensions that the installation of large solar and wind farms has generated in different rural municipalities.
Lastly, the program incorporates a new package of measures for democratic renewal and the fight against corruption. Among them is an organic law on public integrity, the development of risk maps in the administrations, and the creation of an Independent Agency for Public Integrity, tasked with coordinating the oversight mechanisms and strengthening the protection of those who report irregularities.
These are commitments that the Government was not able to push through in full during the legislature, including some projects related to the regulation of pressure groups. With these initiatives, the PSOE seeks to place housing, family protection, the energy transition, and institutional renewal at the center of its campaign for 29N. Their effective implementation, in any case, will depend on the electoral outcome, on the approval of the corresponding rules, and on the budgetary resources available.