Spanish PM Sánchez calls early election after housing protests

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Sánchez's announcement comes after a series of measures to tackle the housing crisis was defeated in parliament on FridayByBen Hatton and Sergi Forcada FreixasSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called an early election for 29 November after recent defeats on legislation aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis. Speculation about a snap election had been building over the weekend after parliament rejected two decree laws put forward by the minority government to protect tenants in the rental market.The eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her home after she was unable to afford a sharp rent rise has sparked nationwide protests and increased pressure for housing reform.In a televised address on Monday, Sánchez said that to push reforms through he needed "a broader progressive majority" that can "overcome the resistance of the elites".Housing has not been the only issue causing problems for Sánchez's leadership in recent months, with his party having been caught up in numerous corruption scandals and facing pressure on other cost-of-living issues and immigration."We have made mistakes and have not achieved everything we had set o...