The Plenary Session of Congress faces this Tuesday, April 28, the debate and vote on the decree-law that contemplates the automatic extension of rental contracts expiring in 2026 and 2027, an initiative that reaches the Chamber without the necessary support to move forward due to the explicit rejection of PP, Vox, and Junts, which together form an absolute majority.
In addition to the extraordinary extension of habitual residence lease contracts, the text incorporates an extraordinary limitation on the annual rent update in housing lease contracts.
The rule has been in effect since it was approved by the Council of Ministers and published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on March 20, and since then ministers and deputies from Sumar have encouraged tenants to request the application of the automatic extension of leases from their landlords.
However, as with any decree-law, it must be submitted to a final vote in Congress for its validation or repeal within the maximum period of thirty days set by the Constitution.
Bustinduy claims concessions from Junts to save the decree
The Minister of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, Pablo Bustinduy, has expressed confidence in achieving the final approval of the decree and has even called on the PSOE to offer Junts the VAT exemption for the self-employed and bonuses for landlords so that the convergents support the rule.
Despite this, PP, Vox, and Junts have been warning for weeks that they have not held any negotiations with Sumar and that, consequently, they will vote against the decree.
Vox announced from the beginning that it would oppose the text, and the PP also positions itself in the 'no' because, according to the 'popular' spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, the measures promoted by Sumar "do not work" to alleviate the housing crisis and even worsen the situation.
The PP attacks the "disastrous" housing policy
Muñoz has insisted this Monday from Congress that the current housing access problem is the responsibility of Pedro Sánchez's Government.
"The problem is much more entrenched today than when he arrived and, therefore, the Sánchez Government and its disastrous housing policy are the ones who have to engage in self-criticism," he stressed.
Regarding Junts, the Catalan party made it clear from the beginning that it did not contemplate supporting the decree, and the scenario became even more tense when the second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, accused Carles Puigdemont's party of being "classist and racist".
These statements led the pro-independence leader to announce the breaking of relations with the minority partner of the Executive, pushing further away any possibility of supporting a decree that the pro-independence supporters have rejected from the first moment.