From Madrid to Dublin, protests over housing are on the rise across Europe

Pedro Sánchez has dissolved the Cortes, but the protests continue. Last night, in Barcelona, a demonstration for the right to housing ended with thirteen arrests and thirty police officers injured. The demands of the march – measures to tackle high rents and greater protection for tenants – are the same as those put forward in other Spanish and European cities.

The elections on 29 November will, moreover, also be contested on the issue of rents. Following the demonstrations and encampments in Puerta del Sol, the Spanish government has in fact reimposed restrictions on evictions and limits on property investment by large funds. On the right, however, the People’s Party and Vox are focusing primarily on new-builds and faster planning procedures. 

Spain, however, is not the only country having to grapple with the housing problem and with pressure coming mainly from the urban population.

In Berlin, on 5 September, thousands of people demonstrated against high rents, calling for a cap on rents, more social housing and an end to evictions for the landlord’s personal reasons. Two weeks later, Die Linke won the regional elections with a manifesto that also includes the expropriation of more than 200,000 flats from large property firms. 

The issue also affects other German cities, where the cost of living continues to rise. Yesterday, the Mieterverein in Hamburg, the city’s main tenants’ association, organised a demonstration calling for lower rents and more housing for students and young workers. Another demonstration is planned for Saturday in Potsdam, where the organisers are protesting, amongst other things, against the proliferation of furnished micro-flats, which are often used for short-term lets.

Portugal could prove to be another powder keg, with demonstrations scheduled for Saturday in Lisbon, Porto, Braga and Aveiro. Behind these protests is the ‘Não Dá Mais P’ra Viver Assim’ (‘We can’t live like this any longer’) movement, which brings together housing associations and trade unions. The organisers are calling for measures to tackle rents and mortgages, as well as energy prices, food prices and wages.

A few days ago, a delegation protested outside the government headquarters against the request by Luís Montenegro’s government to be granted powers to amend the rules on rents. The government essentially wants to speed up evictions in cases of rent arrears and change the rules on rent levels between tenancy agreements.

Another demonstration is scheduled for Saturday in Amsterdam, on Dam Square, organised by the Woonopstand movement. The organisers are calling for more social housing, lower rents, secure tenancies and action to tackle the rise in homelessness. The same movement had already led around 15,000 people on a march from Westerpark to the city centre in 2021.

Meanwhile, in France, whilst secondary school pupils have been protesting for days against school conditions, overcrowded classrooms and a shortage of teachers, the government must also tackle the issue of rents. In recent days, in Lyon, tenants’ associations and other groups organised a protest to defend the ‘encadrement des loyers’, the system that prevents landlords from charging more than a reference rent. The measure is in place in 71 towns, but the trial period expires in November. On 21 October, the Senate will debate whether to extend it and whether to expand it to other local authorities. Associations and mayors are calling for it to be retained, whilst landlords argue that it risks reducing the supply of rental properties.

Finally, there is Ireland, where a few weeks ago in Dublin, the trade unions SIPTU, Fórsa and Unite demonstrated alongside Sinn Féin and other left-wing organisations. The march set off from the Garden of Remembrance and ended outside Parliament, calling for measures to tackle the cost of living ahead of the budget bill. Among their demands were support for utility bills, wages and rents, which prevent many workers and young people from leaving their parents’ homes, finding a place to live or starting a family.

The demonstration came after months of more limited protests. In March, several hundred tenants of council flats had protested against the rent increases proposed by Dublin City Council, which for some households could reach 50 per cent. At the end of September, the city council’s housing committee approved a motion calling for the increases to be withdrawn. It is a local dispute, but in a country where more than 17,000 people live in accommodation for the homeless, this is enough to explain why housing has become a national political issue.