Sánchez Government Accused of Using Ayuso as a Distraction from Housing Failures

The **sanchismo** government is accused of using **Ayuso** as an imaginary enemy to conceal its housing failures, ignoring real eviction figures and unfulfilled promises.

The government of **Pedro Sánchez** faces criticism for its handling of the housing crisis, particularly for its tendency to point to the president of the Community of Madrid, **Isabel Díaz Ayuso**, as responsible for the problems. This strategy, according to some analyses, aims to divert attention from its own responsibilities and its failure to keep electoral promises in this area.

## The ghost of evictions

Eviction figures in Spain remain worrying. While in **2018** the housing problem ranked fifteenth among national concerns, it has now become the primary issue. Despite **Sánchez**'s **2015** promises that there would be no more evictions under a socialist government, the reality is very different. It is estimated that there are around **twenty-five thousand** evictions annually, a figure that starkly contrasts with the two hundred thousand promised but unbuilt homes.

## The "that's for..." strategy

The tactic of attributing problems to others, summarized by the expression "eso, a..." (that's for...), has become a recurring tool. Trinc the case of **Maricarmen**, a woman evicted in Madrid, the central government's response has been to direct attention towards the Madrid administrations. This same strategy was previously used with the migrant crisis in Ceuta, where the initial response was "eso, a **Vivas**." Now, the focus is on **Ayuso**, who is accused of being more concerned with real estate operations using public money than with social demands.

## A particular case, a general problem

The case of **Maricarmen** is presented as an example of social policy rather than a widespread housing problem. It is noted that the affected individual enjoyed a rent-controlled apartment in an expensive area of Madrid, a system inherited from the Franco era that abusa a **1994** socialist law on subrogations. Although she was offered public housing, she refused it. While the company could be criticized for a lack of flexibility, the main criticism is directed at the central government's inaction in creating a legal framework to address these situations. Despite this outlook, it is anticipated that by **2027**, it will still be presented as the solution to the housing crisis.