Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez has called a snap election.
The move comes after his series of measures to tackle the housing crisis was defeated in parliament on Friday.
Sánchez confirms Spain will be heading to the polls on 29 November.
The next vote was originally scheduled for the summer of 2027.
After announcing the election, the prime minister says there is a need to "renew and broaden people's support" for the government.
He adds that Spain "must mobilise and ensure that parliament provides us with a much broader progressive majority".
Pedro Sánchez says that, to push reforms through, "we need the support of the people" and "a broader progressive majority" that can "overcome the resistance of the elites".
As we've reported, the election comes after his government failed to secure enough support in Congress last week for a package of measures aimed at tackling the country's housing crisis.
Sánchez's minority government was unable to win backing from either its allies, or opposition parties, meaning the proposals - which included a ban on evictions - were voted down.
Sánchez has been Spain's prime minister since June 2018. Spain was not due to hold a general election until the summer of 2027, at the latest.
The Socialist Party finished second in the last election, in 2023.
Although the conservative People's Party won the most seats, it fell short of a majority. Sánchez remained in power after striking agreements with left-wing parties and securing support from Catalan and Basque nationalist and pro-independence groups.
Most opinion polls suggest the conservatives are likely to emerge as the largest party in the next election.
However, they would be expected to need the support of the hard-right Vox party to form a government.
'At last' and 'Let's win again': Spanish political reaction
Spain's political parties have been reacting to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's announcement of a snap election for 29 November.
"Por fin," says the conservative Partido Popular on X, which translates to "at last". The party also posts a video showing people laughing and celebrating.
Meanwhile on Bluesky, Sumar says: "We are ready, and there are more of us."
Sumar is a political platform which brings together four left-wing coalition partners, broadly to the left of Sanzhes's Socialists.
"Sanchez or Spain," Pepa de Millan, spokesperson for the right-wing Vox party writes on X.
While the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, led by Sánchez, says: "Let's give it our all, let's work to inspire and to win again."
