🇪🇸Week of October 12

The PSOE has named Rebeca Torró as its spokesperson following the resignation of Montse Mínguez, who stepped down over the controversy known as the "30 pisos" (30 flats). Mínguez's departure came amid scrutiny of her partner's role as a large property owner who forced evictions, a detail raised in commentary on the case.12

The resignation disrupted Pedro Sánchez's federal committee and the opening of the election campaign, according to El Confidencial. El País framed the episode as the rise and fall of the PSOE spokesperson.32

The Partido Popular's Alberto Núñez Feijóo is not the only figure under pressure: the PP's regional leader in Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, was absent from a federal committee described as offering "no possibility of intervention." The absence was reported alongside the spokesperson change.1

Attributed claim: The affair has become a frame for the wider housing debate. On the right, ABC carried commentary arguing that Sánchez "saw an opportunity" in the eviction of Maricarmen and that PSOE deputies had been forced onto "a cart they do not believe in"; the same outlet quoted Vicente Vallés saying Sánchez called elections over housing and that the PSOE spokesperson resigned because her partner is a large property owner who forced evictions.45

The United States has suspended application of the last package of sanctions against Russia, invoking "national interest" as the grounds. The package was designed by the US Congress as a measure to squeeze Russia economically.12345

The suspension follows a diesel-related agreement with Vladimir Putin, which Spanish outlets link directly to the timing of the move. The Kremlin described the development as a "historic moment."342

Attributed claim: Coverage splits on how to frame the suspension: the right-leaning ABC casts it as "another favour from Trump to Putin" and a law designed to asphyxiate Russia, while the left-leaning LaSexta calls it a "new nod from Trump to Putin." The centre and centre-right outlets, El Confidencial and El Mundo, lead instead with the "national interest" justification and the Kremlin's "historic moment" characterization.1524

Spain's ombudsman, the Defensor del Pueblo, has filed an amparo appeal with the Constitutional Court over the suspension of voting rights for people naturalised under the so-called 'ley de nietos' (grandchildren law). The appeal targets the suspension of the vote for thousands of naturalised citizens covered by the measure.12345

The Constitutional Court's vice-president has activated the magistrates following the ombudsman's amparo against the grandchildren law.16

Attributed claim: Coverage frames the ombudsman's move differently: ABC, a right-leaning outlet, casts it as the ombudsman coming to the government's aid by taking the 'ley de nietos' census to the Constitutional Court, while centre-left El País and Cadena SER present it as an appeal over the suspension of the vote for naturalised citizens.743

Separately, the Supreme Court rejected the State Attorney's arguments on the Ley de Nietos, stating that 'no documents have been provided'.8

Spain's Civil Protection and Emergencies service is maintaining an alert for very strong and persistent showers and storms along the peninsular Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands as the high-impact storm 'Adam' arrives. 'Adam' is the first major DANA of the season, and forecasters expect it to affect a large part of Spain from Saturday.123

AEMET has issued a red warning for Sunday and Monday for the southern coast of Valencia and northern Alicante due to torrential rain. Emergencies services warned of "a significant possibility of flooding" during the weekend's DANA.45

Meteorologist Roberto Brasero said the first high-impact DANA of the season has now been named and will affect much of Spain from Saturday.3

Frente Amplio and Podemos failed in their attempt to agree a single joint ballot for Spain's 29 November general elections. The two formations will contest the vote separately in almost the whole country, reaching pacts in only five of the 52 constituencies.1234

The breakdown leaves the parties to the left of the PSOE running on separate lists in most autonomous communities, with the resulting line-ups differing from region to region.12

After the collapse of the talks with Frente Amplio, Podemos defended the Montero-Rufián pairing, with the party arguing that the two are the only ones who can stand up to the right.5

Attributed claim: The failure of the unity talks was framed as a fiasco of the negotiation by the left-leaning elDiario.es, while the centre-right El Mundo cast it as a collapse of left unity across nearly all of Spain. Both accounts converge on the same outcome: separate candidacies in all but five of the 52 constituencies.25