Maricarmen may return to her apartment after agreement with…

Maricarmen may return to her apartment after agreement with the owner

29.09.2026 15:30 HotInfo

Eighty-seven-year-old Maricarmen Abascal can return to her apartment in Madrid's Retiro district. Representatives of the senior citizen and the company Urbagestión, which owns the property, reached the agreement after more than four hours of negotiations. Her lawyer stated that the return has been agreed upon, though the tenant herself still has to approve the conditions. El Mundo ↗

Representatives of both the owner and the company took part in the negotiations, mediated by the Madrid municipal housing company EMVS. The agreement represents a turnaround after police evicted the senior citizen from the apartment where she had lived for nearly 70 years. The case triggered mass protests in Madrid and became a symbol of the broader housing crisis. Merkur ↗

Some demonstrators continue to camp at Puerta del Sol square, demanding tenant protection, rent regulation, and more affordable housing. The dispute has also deepened political tensions between the Spanish government and representatives of the Madrid region. Regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso accused government officials of inaction and criticized the fact that the protest camp had not been dispersed. La Repubblica ↗

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is pushing for the so-called Maricarmen decree, which contains housing measures. He is calling on other political parties for an "esfuerzo," meaning additional effort, so that parliament approves the proposal. Further developments will depend both on the senior citizen's final consent to the agreement and on support for the government measures in parliament. El Pais ↗