La Matanza (Tenerife) (EFE).- The Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, stated on Friday in Tenerife that the rejection of the housing decrees had not been a defeat or a setback for the Spanish Government, but rather «a blow to the hopes of the Spanish people».
Speaking to the media in La Matanza (Tenerife), the minister stated that today had been «a sad day» in the Congress of Deputies due to the refusal by the Partido Popular, Vox and Junts to ratify the Royal Decree-Laws «to protect those who rent a home».
«These parties do not deserve to represent anyone in the Congress of Deputies because they put their own interests – including their partisan interests – before the general interest of the people, and this must be stated clearly,» said Torres, criticising the fact that «in a completely astonishing and unjustified manner, driven by partisan calculation, there have been political parties that have voted against the hopes» of the public.
Canary Islands: Rejected tenant protection measures affect more than 100,000 tenants
«There are around 700,000 Canarians living in rented accommodation; more than 100,000 of them already had the assurance, under those Royal Decree-Laws which had been ratified, that their rent would not be increased in 2026. Now their rent may be increased,» said Torres, who pointed out that many young Canarians «have had to return home because they could not afford the rent».
He added that the Canary Islands is the autonomous community where house prices rose the most in the second quarter of the year, by 14 per cent, «and the PP and Vox are voting against it».
Torres blames the PP, Vox and Junts
«There is no justification whatsoever, and so the people of the Canary Islands, to whom I am speaking, must be aware of this. Let them know who stands with them, who votes with them, who supports them, and who turns their back on them, dashes their hopes and, today, thwarts their aspirations,» he argued.
The minister reiterated that «today is a sad, shameful and disgraceful day; in Catalonia they will be shouting ‚vergonya‘ because Junts has also voted against it, in the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, but in the squares of the Canary Islands too, people are shouting ‚vergüenza‘ at the Partido Popular and Vox because they are responsible for this ominous and shameful action».
Spanish government defends its solution to the housing dispute
He referred to the «outcry from the people, who today called on us politicians to rise to the occasion», and the Spanish Government has put forward solutions in which «we have all had to make some concessions, but the parties that have given us their support have come up against a wall in the form of three political groups: the Partido Popular, Vox and Junts, who have simply turned their backs on the Spanish people».
According to Ángel Víctor Torres, «the situation is so serious that we really ought to stop and think: if politics cannot solve problems, what is the point of it?», he asked.
He also pointed out that whether or not there are early elections «is entirely up to the Prime Minister», Pedro Sánchez, but, he added, «we cannot ignore what has happened today».
«Canary Islands: More than 100,000 tenants face higher rents»
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