Sánchez uses Mari Carmen's eviction in UN speech to attack Ayuso

Sánchez brings Mari Carmen's eviction to his UN speech

Can a neighbor's eviction be turned into diplomatic ammunition? That's what many reactions suggest about the speech Pedro Sánchez gave at the UN, where he cited the case of Mari Carmen, a tenant with an old rent contract evicted in Madrid, to point fingers at the Madrid City Council and Regional Government for "ignoring this social tragedy." The circulating theory is uncomfortable: the speech was prepared, and not precisely to talk about peace.

A case with media coverage and cross-accusations

Some argue the woman is being used in a "crude and premeditated" way, with a coordinated media rollout that's hard to believe is coincidental. On the other hand, another group defends that the eviction is real and a president can use it. In between, there's a comparison with the "penthouse scandal" attributed to Ayuso's circle, which critics claim was neither hers nor going to be hers.

The figure that debunks the simpler narrative is different. CGPJ 2025 data places Catalonia at the forefront of evictions, with 6,814, triple the 2,267 in Madrid. The Community of Madrid ranks fourth in evictions for rent, with 1,931 under the Urban Leases Law. Mari Carmen's case is one of them. The coincidence with the United Nations address doesn't invalidate the numbers, but it doesn't validate the narrative either.

Why was this eviction chosen and not others?

Because Madrid has a PP president and Catalonia a socialist government, respond critics. The intersection with the international agenda fuels suspicion of a meticulously measured smokescreen. The calculation of evictions per region, compared to its population, is what truly disrupts the narrative: Madrid doesn't even top the list.

That a UN speech is remembered more for an eviction than for any international agreement says quite a lot about the current level. The next tragedy with a camera will arrive on schedule.