Rising housing costs in Europe are sparking urgent political debate, with activists seizing a moment to demand systemic change. While a major real estate conference in Madrid drew thousands of investors and developers, a parallel "counter-summit" by 140 global organizations challenged the treatment of housing as a speculative asset. The protests gained momentum after an elderly woman was forcibly evicted from her long-term home, sparking days of demonstrations and a makeshift encampment in the city center. The convergence of activists from across Europe underscores how the housing crisis has become a shared struggle with far-reaching consequences.
As soaring rents and house prices across Europe feed into the political discourse, campaigners believe they have a rare opportunity to force housing to the top of the agendaDon’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereIt was billed as one of the largest real-estate events in Europe, attracting as many as 15,000 people ranging from investment firms to developers. But as the District trade show and summit got under way last week in Madrid, housing campaigners from 140 organisations across the globe turned up, intent on holding their own “counter-summit” to push back against the idea of housing as a financial asset.Many of the campaigners arrived in the Spanish capital as Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair, was being evicted from the apartment where she had lived for seven decades. As anger over the eviction gave way to days of protests and an encampment in the heart of Madrid, the presence of campaigners from Italy to Ireland was a poignant reminder of the global dimension of the crisis. Continue reading...
