The European Commission is examining Junts's complaint about Spain's regularisation by Royal Decree. The process drew 1,174,968 applications before closing on June 30; many are still being resolved. Junts argues Spain breached EU rules. The Commission has not ruled out a future infringement procedure.
The Supreme Court rules out suspending all overseas voting. Ministers must identify 163,020 Ley de Nietos (grandchildren's law) beneficiaries whose voting rights it suspended for lacking proof of descent from forced exiles. The deadline expires on October 28 at 15.00, ahead of the November 29 election.
Home-buying costs exceed 45% of disposable income in 81% of municipalities around Madrid and 56% around Barcelona, Tinsa reports. Madrid province's ratio reaches 53.5%. Prices there rose 13.1% annually to €3,963 per square metre.
The cabinet approved €201 million on October 27 for private developers to build 2,500 affordable rentals on Casa 47 public land. Rents would not exceed 30% of household income. The related housing decree still needs approval from Congress to remain in force.
Banks expect to tighten mortgage and consumer-loan criteria through December, the ECB's lending survey shows. Higher funding costs have made new loans less favourable. Rising interest rates drove falling demand in July-September, with home-purchase loans seeing the sharpest drop.
Spain's average retirement pension reached €1,577.6 a month in October, up 4.5% annually. Monthly contributory pension spending hit €14.5399 billion, up 6.3%. Inflation-linked increases and the first baby-boom retirements drove the rise in spending.
Archaeologists have uncovered six towers and about 40 metres of wall at La Almoloya in Pliego, Murcia. Up to seven metres wide, the defences protected a roughly 4,000-year-old Argaric city. The discovery raises questions about why a naturally protected plateau needed such strong walls.
The government says it is working to prevent violence around the November 11 housing general strike after riots in Barcelona and Bilbao. It distinguishes the rioters from the unions calling the strike and expects it to proceed normally. PP and Vox are making insecurity a campaign issue.
The government plans to put two housing decrees to Congress on November 12, though the date is not confirmed. The cabinet approved them on October 6, and they await a Congress vote. PP, Vox, and Junts defeated earlier versions; the planned vote falls a day after the housing general strike.
Spain's unemployment rate rose from 9.87% to 10.18% in July-September, according to INE (national statistics institute). Employment still reached a record 22.85 million. The quarter added 73,600 jobs, the weakest third-quarter gain in seven years, while unemployment rose by 95,900.
The European Commission proposes expanding Frontex to 30,000 agents, including a 17,000-agent rapid reaction force. The plan would give the agency a larger role in deportations, including transfers to planned centres outside Europe. The proposal has not been adopted.
Madrid doctors begin three-day strikes on October 28, with further rounds through December. Regional action continues in Andalucía, Catalonia, Valencia, and the Canary Islands over pay and 24-hour shifts. Unions postponed the national strike because of the early election.
Uber Eats has agreed with UGT and CCOO that 4,286 self-employed riders will become Quinde Crew employees from November 30. The deal also improves conditions for more than 8,000 riders. A commission will monitor compliance for three years.
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