Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called a snap general election for November 29 after his minority government suffered a major defeat over emergency housing measures. 

The rejected measures were intended to address Spain’s housing crisis, including protections against evictions and regulations for rental properties.

The parliamentary defeat followed large protests over rising rents and housing costs, including demonstrations after an 87-year-old woman was evicted from her Madrid home.

Sánchez said the election would allow Spaniards to decide the country’s future after his government struggled to pass legislation without a stable parliamentary majority, Al-Jazeera has reported.

The election, being held months earlier than scheduled, is expected to focus heavily on housing and the divisions between Sánchez’s left-wing government and Spain’s conservative opposition.