BARCELONA (Reuters) - About 22,000 people protested in Barcelona on Saturday, in the latest demonstration to demand lower housing rental prices and better living conditions.
Housing has become a major issue in Spain as it struggles to balance promoting tourism, a key driver of its economy, and concerns over high rents due to gentrification and landlords shifting to more lucrative, short-term tourist rentals.
The price of rentals signed in the second quarter of 2024 in Barcelona was almost 70% higher than in the same period of 2014, data from the Catalan Housing Agency shows.
"We are spending half our wages in rent ... This must stop!," said Carme, 28, a spokeswoman for a tenants union.
Smaller protests were held across Catalonia, and in Burgos, Asturias in north Spain and Jerez de la Frontera in the south.
The government announced a crackdown on short-term and seasonal holiday lettings in July and plans to investigate listings on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com to verify if they have licences.
Demonstrations have been held this year in Madrid, the Canary Islands and Malaga, where seasonal hospitality workers struggle to find accommodation, with many sleeping in caravans or even their cars.
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Spain’s Foreign Ministry announced it will summon Israel’s charge d’affaires on Tuesday to protest remarks made by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar about Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Thirty years after launching its ambitious Euro-Mediterranean policy, Europe has lost influence in a region that should matter most to it. Today, in the Mediterranean, the European Union no longer sets the rules of the game, it endures them.
Diplomatic tensions between Spain and Israel have escalated sharply, with Madrid recalling its ambassador from Tel Aviv on Monday. The move came after the Israeli government accused Spain of antisemitism and barred two Spanish ministers from entering the country.
Spain said it will increase pressure on Israel by banning Israel-bound ships and aircraft carrying weapons from calling at Spanish ports or entering Spanish airspace, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
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A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
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Britain’s King Charles and U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated the enduring “special relationship” between their countries during a state banquet at Windsor Castle on Wednesday.
Five police officers have been shot in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, with three reported to be in grave condition and another in critical care.
Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa said ongoing negotiations with Israel over a security pact could produce results “in the coming days.”
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