Jacobin Radio Jacobin Radio: Uprisings in France and Spain w/ Sebastian Budgen
Oct 15, 2026
Agustín Santos Maraver, Spain’s former UN ambassador and a Sumar lawmaker, discusses the housing uprising sparked by an elderly woman’s eviction, financialized rents, coalition turmoil, and an unprecedented pre-election general strike. Verso European editor Sebastian Budgen examines France’s banlieue-led school revolt, crumbling education, police repression, and the stakes for a Mélenchon-Le Pen presidential race.
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Spain’s Fragmented Left Is Losing Voters To Abstention
- Sumar’s coalition weakened because its 11 regional forces lacked a durable political center and spent government years negotiating defensive compromises.
- Voter disengagement, rather than transfers to rival parties, caused much of the left’s decline.
Mari Carmen’s Eviction Ignited Spain’s Housing Revolt
- Mari Carmen Abascal became a national symbol after an investment firm sought to raise her rent from €500 to €2,600.
- Tenants blocked her eviction three times, but authorities ultimately carried out the fourth using an ambulance.
Spain’s General Strike Connects Housing To Elections
- Spain’s tenants’ movement linked housing, healthcare, education, and wages into a general strike designed to shape the election campaign.
- Holding it 14 days before voting would turn street mobilization into electoral pressure.