Around 1.6 million people could be affected by an increase in rental costs if contracts expiring this year are not renewed, Pablo Bustinduy said during an appearance at the headquarters of the Ministry of Social Rights. As Europa Press reported, the minister called for urgent government intervention to extend at least 600,000 contracts and protect families at risk of eviction.
According to Europa Press, Bustinduy made a direct appeal to President Pedro Sánchez to respond decisively to the political crisis triggered by recent cases of alleged corruption and harassment in the PSOE environment. The minister suggested that this response would include a deep reorganization of the executive branch as well as the adoption by decree of exceptional measures in housing. As Bustinduy explains in detail, these measures include, in addition to the aforementioned extension for rental agreements, also the extension of the ban on evictions for vulnerable people.
The Head of the Social Rights Department stressed that the only way to overcome the current political crisis is to clarify all responsibilities, ensure transparency and strengthen the social agenda. At the press conference, he highlighted priority areas such as increasing the minimum wage, extending leave related to the birth and care of minors, providing an additional 500 million euros for the care system and the future adoption of the Customer Service Law.
Europa Press highlighted that Bustinduy expressed his support for the proposal of Yolanda Díaz, the second vice president, to pursue a reshuffle of the Cabinet. In his opinion, reforms of this kind are necessary to restore the confidence of the progressive population affected by the current situation. In this sense, Bustinduy assured that Sumar has a clear focus on his role in the government and his commitment to the social majority.
The minister emphasized the urgency of implementing housing construction measures and pointed out that it was incomprehensible that these measures had not already been decided. “Today I would like to once again urge our government partner to act and do it now, without further delays and without further excuses. I think this is what needs to be done and I believe it is the way out of this situation we find ourselves in,” Bustinduy said, quoted by Europa Press.
The media stated that Bustinduy reiterated the need to take bold action against what he believes are existing speculative dynamics in the real estate market. The head of the Department of Social Rights stressed that the extensions of rental contracts, which he is asking for approval in the Council of Ministers, aim to avoid increases that would affect hundreds of thousands of apartments and to expand protections against eviction proceedings.
The presentation also highlighted the ministry’s actions in other areas, such as imposing a fine on the tourist apartment platform Airbnb. According to Europa Press, Bustinduy has integrated these measures into Sumar’s roadmap, which includes among its priorities the defense of social rights in the face of speculative situations and ensuring support for the most disadvantaged groups.
Bustinduy’s intervention highlighted the repeated call for the executive, and especially his coalition partners, to assume what he perceived as an obligation to protect those affected by the social and economic situation. According to Europa Press, the focus of the demand is not to postpone the approval of contract extensions and to ensure the protection of housing policy from cycles of crisis and uncertainty.
Throughout his speech, the minister linked the call for structural reforms in the political sphere with the urgency of implementing concrete decisions that could reduce the pressure on citizens at risk of losing their homes. Europa Press stated that Bustinduy’s demands are in line with Sumar’s priorities and were partly supported by other figures in the progressive space, such as the second vice president.
Given Moncloa’s initial refusal to transform the executive branch, Bustinduy insisted on the need for a response that would restore the government’s original meaning and social objectives. The minister noted the impact of the recent scandals on the trust of the progressive population and defended immediate measures to reaffirm the government’s social orientation.
Bustinduy’s performance, reviewed by Europa Press, also included a reflection on the role of public authority in preventing the dynamics of the housing market from harming the social majority. The minister reiterated Sumar’s willingness to push forward reforms aimed at strengthening social protection and ensuring a minimum standard of living for those experiencing economic difficulties or vulnerable situations.
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