Spanish PM Sanchez calls for snap election

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday called for a snap election. This comes as the country has been facing unrest over soaring housing prices.

During an address in Madrid, he called on voters to choose the future they want. He said: "You, the people of Spain, must decide what role you wish to play in it and also what role you want Spain to play in it. Whether you wish to join that far-right wave that leads to regression wherever it governs, or whether you want Spain to remain a bastion of openness, social justice and environmental responsibility."

He said the election will be held on November 29.

Sanchez, who heads the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, is seen as a progressive leader on the global stage. He is a vocal critic of US and Israeli policies in the Middle East. But his administration's approval rating has been slumping over a variety of issues, including corruption allegations involving his wife.

People have taken to the streets across the country over the housing crisis. His administration submitted emergency decrees to parliament last week on the issue, but opposition and other parties rejected the legislation.

Local media say opinion polls are showing the election could shift power to the center-right Popular Party and the far-right Vox party. But some observers say his administration has gained some support for how it has handled housing and other issues. Attention is now focused on whether his left-wing government will remain in power, or right-wing forces will gain the upper hand.