MPs reject state pension increases in spat over too many policies in one vote

MPs in Congreso voted down a government decree on Wednesday this week, blocking a planned rise in pensions for 2026 along with a package of social measures. The bill was rejected after opposition parties, including the Partido Popular (PP), voted against it, accusing the government of sleight of hand by packing too many diverse measures into one vote as a way of slipping through less popular policies.

The PP said it supported pension increases but opposed the government's strategy of once again mixing social measures with controversial provisions such as on housing and anti-eviction rules, which it refused to endorse.