Housing Takes Centre Stage as Ibiza’s Political Parties Launch Campaign for 29 November General Election

13 November 2026

Housing has emerged as the defining issue of the 2026 general election campaign in Ibiza, with representatives of the island's main political parties identifying the lack of affordable accommodation as one of the most pressing challenges facing residents.

The campaign officially began at midnight on Friday, 13 November, ahead of Spain's general election on Sunday, 29 November. On Thursday afternoon, candidates and party representatives gathered at the emblematic Passeig de Vara de Rey in Ibiza Town for the traditional symbolic poster-pasting event, where they outlined their priorities and expectations for the electoral campaign.

Although there was broad recognition that access to housing has become a major problem for Ibiza and Formentera, the proposed solutions varied considerably. Increasing the supply of homes, changing housing legislation, restricting speculative property purchases, controlling tourism growth and improving wages all featured in the statements made by the political representatives.

The campaign also opened against a backdrop of growing political polarisation, with candidates raising concerns about the quality of political debate, the direction of national politics and the relationship between decisions taken in Madrid and the particular needs of the Balearic Islands.

PP Calls for More Housing and Changes to State Legislation

Carmen Ferrer, mayor of Santa Eulària and the People's Party (PP) candidate for the Senate, said she was entering the campaign with enthusiasm and hoped the election would provide an opportunity to change the country's political direction.

She described the 29 November election as an opportunity to change the way politics is conducted and focus more closely on the everyday concerns of citizens.

Among the PP's priorities, she highlighted housing, public safety, reducing the tax burden on small and medium-sized businesses and supporting self-employed workers. She also called for the completion of staffing levels within the State Security Forces and for the sustainability of the pension system.

On housing, Ferrer argued that the priority should be to increase the availability of homes while changing state legislation to provide greater legal certainty for both landlords and tenants.

She believes that the current regulatory framework has encouraged some property owners to withdraw their homes from the rental market because of uncertainty about recovering their properties or receiving rental payments.

Ferrer also argued that responsibility for protecting vulnerable people should rest with public administrations rather than being transferred to individual property owners.

To support her criticism of the current Housing Law, she referred to Catalonia, particularly Barcelona, as examples of what she considers the negative consequences of regulation.

Her position places greater emphasis on increasing supply and providing legal security for the rental market, rather than introducing further restrictions on property owners.

Eivissa al Senat Puts Housing, Tourism Limits and Insularity at the Centre of Its Programme

Juanjo Ferrer, candidate for the Senate representing Eivissa al Senat, said he was approaching the campaign with more experience than during his first electoral contest. He previously held a Senate seat between 2023 and 2026.

He expressed concern about the current political climate, describing public debate as increasingly polarised and dominated by personal attacks rather than discussion of policies and proposals.

When asked about the priorities for Ibiza, he gave a concise answer: “Housing, housing and housing.”

Eivissa al Senat proposes a different approach to the housing market from the PP, including measures to limit rental prices, restrict speculative property purchases and second-home acquisitions, and strengthen controls over seasonal rental contracts.

The coalition has previously argued that seasonal rental arrangements have been used in some cases to avoid the protections and requirements of Spain's Housing Law.

Its wider programme also connects the housing crisis with the island's tourism model. Ferrer called for limits on tourism growth, opposition to further increases in Ibiza Airport's capacity and salaries that allow residents to afford decent accommodation.

Other priorities raised by the candidate included protecting the Catalan language and local culture, improving care for dependent people, reducing VAT in the Balearic Islands and making military accommodation available to other public employees.

On the latter issue, he called for military residences in Ibiza and Sant Antoni to be opened to additional categories of public-sector workers, particularly those who struggle to find accommodation on the island.

The coalition's position reflects its argument that housing affordability cannot be separated from tourism pressure, the cost of living and the additional expenses associated with living in an island territory.

PSOE Calls for a Stronger Majority to Take Further Housing Measures

Milena Herrera, the PSOE candidate for Congress from Ibiza and a member of parliament since 2023, said the Socialists were beginning the campaign with renewed energy and a determination to mobilise voters.

She warned that some people were concerned about potential political setbacks that, in her view, could result from a change towards right-wing and far-right policies.

Herrera also connected Wednesday's general strike, held on 11 November, with the housing crisis. She said the message from those who took part in the demonstrations was clear: housing had become the principal concern.

She called for a government with a sufficiently broad parliamentary majority to take more decisive action on housing.

In defending the record of the government led by Pedro Sánchez, Herrera cited several projects and measures affecting Ibiza and the Balearic Islands.

Among them were the completion of the wastewater treatment plant works and the opening of the Parador de Ibiza, two projects she said had taken approximately two decades to become reality.

She also highlighted the island allowance for public employees and increased state investment in the Balearic Islands.

Herrera said she sensed greater enthusiasm and mobilisation within the PSOE than during the 2023 general election, expressing confidence that more people would participate in the upcoming vote.

The Socialist candidate's position was therefore centred on continuing the current government's direction while seeking a stronger parliamentary mandate to advance housing measures.

Vox Highlights Housing and Irregular Immigration

Héctor Andrés, Vox's spokesperson in Ibiza, also expressed enthusiasm about the start of the campaign and said he hoped the 29 November election would bring a change in the country's political direction.

For Vox, housing and irregular immigration were the two main concerns affecting Ibiza and Formentera.

Andrés described the housing situation as the island's principal problem and identified the arrival of migrant boats, known as pateras, as another major concern for the party.

He said Vox would defend its proposals on both issues in Congress and the Senate.

The representative also called for improved working conditions for public employees assigned to the Balearic Islands, arguing that additional measures were needed to compensate for the difficulties associated with insularity.

His comments placed housing and immigration at the centre of the party's local campaign message, alongside the conditions facing public-sector workers.

Ara Més-Front Ampli Calls for a Review of Ibiza's Tourism Model

Mariví Mengual, candidate for Congress representing Ara Més-Front Ampli, also identified the housing crisis as Ibiza's principal challenge.

However, she stressed that the problem should be considered alongside the island's wider tourism model.

Mengual highlighted the difficulties faced by workers in several essential sectors, including education, healthcare and hospitality.

Teachers, healthcare professionals and hospitality workers are among those who can struggle to find affordable accommodation in Ibiza, despite being essential to the functioning of the island throughout the year.

She also referred to the general strike held on 11 November, highlighting the importance of the mobilisation and the connection between housing affordability and working conditions.

Her position combines housing measures with a broader review of how tourism operates on the island and how its economic benefits and pressures affect the resident population.

Housing Dominates the Debate, but the Proposed Solutions Differ

The campaign launch demonstrated that housing has become an issue that political parties across different ideological positions cannot avoid.

However, their proposals reveal significant differences in how they believe the crisis should be addressed.

The PP is calling for more housing supply and changes to national legislation to provide greater legal certainty for property owners and tenants.

Eivissa al Senat advocates stronger controls on speculative purchases, second homes and seasonal rentals, alongside limits on tourism growth and airport capacity.

The PSOE is defending the measures introduced by the current government and arguing that a stronger parliamentary majority is needed to take further action.

Vox has placed housing alongside irregular immigration as one of its main local priorities, while Ara Més-Front Ampli links the shortage of accommodation to the need to reconsider Ibiza's tourism model.

These positions demonstrate that agreement over the importance of the housing crisis does not necessarily translate into agreement over how to solve it.

For residents, the debate is particularly significant. The shortage of affordable accommodation affects not only people looking to buy or rent a home, but also businesses, public services and the ability of essential workers to remain on the island.

A Campaign Shaped by Political Polarisation

Housing was not the only issue raised during the Vara de Rey meeting.

Juanjo Ferrer expressed concern about what he described as a deterioration in political debate, arguing that discussion increasingly focuses on attacking political opponents rather than examining policies.

Carmen Ferrer, meanwhile, said she hoped the election would provide an opportunity to change the way politics is conducted and place everyday problems at the centre of public decision-making.

The candidates' comments reflected the wider national atmosphere in which the election is taking place, with disagreements over the direction of the country, public policy and the role of different political parties expected to feature throughout the campaign.

For Ibiza, however, the local priorities are particularly clear. Housing, the cost of living, tourism management, public services and the additional expenses associated with insularity are all issues that require decisions at national level.

General Election Scheduled for Sunday, 29 November

The Spanish general election will take place on Sunday, 29 November 2026, with voters choosing representatives for both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate.

The electoral campaign runs for 15 days, from its official start at midnight on 13 November until midnight on 27 November. Saturday, 28 November, will be the official day of reflection before voting takes place on Sunday.

Over the coming two weeks, candidates and political parties will present their programmes, meet voters and campaign across the country.

For Ibiza and Formentera, the election will be an opportunity to decide which representatives will carry the islands' concerns to the national parliament.

The housing crisis is already shaping the campaign, but the discussions at Vara de Rey have made clear that the debate extends much further: from tourism growth and airport capacity to taxation, immigration, public services, wages and the additional costs of living in the Balearic Islands.

The parties may share the view that Ibiza needs answers on housing, but the solutions they are offering voters are far from the same.

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