Prohens takes the Spanish government’s housing decree to the Supreme Court

PalmaTwo days after the general strike for housing, the Government has announced that it will file a contentious-administrative appeal before the Supreme Court against Pedro Sánchez's royal decree on housing. Specifically, the appeal is directed against the granting, approved on October 21st, of direct subsidies to the autonomous communities that apply the state law and have declared zones of strained residential market, with which rental prices can be limited. A measure that President Marga Prohens has categorically refused to apply throughout the entire legislature.

As explained by the First Vice President and Minister of Economy, Antoni Costa, the appeal questions that the Spanish government did not take into account "the allegations made by the Government of the Balearic Islands during the hearing period of the Royal Decree project". The Government considers that the Royal Decree approved by the Council of Ministers last month violates the principle of territorial equality and the principle of political autonomy, in addition to infringing on regional competence in housing matters.

It also considers that the Royal Decree violates the principle of territorial equality, because "state funds for housing should be distributed in accordance with objective criteria regarding the real needs of each territory". In this sense, it censures that "it conditions aid on the declaration of stressed zones" and excludes other policies. Furthermore, it denounces that it "violates the principle of political autonomy" of the citizens, and recalls that the declaration of stressed residential market zones "is voluntary, according to the territorial reality, public policies, and the technical assessment of the effectiveness of the measure". "This pressure to apply it transgresses the limits of state promotion activity", it states.

“We regret the coercion of businesses due to the strike”

Costa also expressed “utmost respect for those who went on strike on Wednesday and demonstrated peacefully”. However, he insisted on lamenting “actions by people who resorted to coercion against shops and workers who freely went to their workplace”. The vice president noted that the strike had a turnout of “11% in the public sector” and “1% in the private sector”. Nevertheless, he said: “We understand the discomfort of the majority of citizens regarding the current cost of living; inflation rates are high and so are housing prices”.