MADRID — Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Monday that national elections will be held Nov. 29, moving the vote forward after his minority government suffered a major defeat over emergency housing measures. The two decrees, which included steps to curb evictions and real estate speculation, were rejected in Parliament last week after right-wing opposition parties joined forces against them. The formal dissolution of Parliament still requires Cabinet approval; Sánchez convened ministers for later Monday. The election call follows weeks of protests over housing costs in cities across Spain. Public anger intensified after the televised eviction of an 87-year-old woman from her Madrid home last month. In a televised address, Sánchez said voters should decide the country’s direction, arguing that a broader progressive coalition in Parliament could address Spain’s most pressing problems. The Socialist leader has governed in a coalition with the left-wing Sumar party since 2023, relying on several smaller parties to pass legislation. The housing dispute is expected to shape the campaign. Oriol Bartomeus, a political science professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, said the issue could allow Sánchez to frame the contest around a traditional left-right divide. The opposition Popular Party, which currently holds the most seats in Parliament, is expected to focus on corruption allegations involving the Socialist Party and Sánchez’s family. His wife and brother deny wrongdoing. Sánchez, 54, has been prime minister since 2018. His government has presided over rapid economic growth, but has faced challenges including constrained support in Parliament and criticism over its handling of a major migration crisis in the Spanish North African territory of Ceuta this summer. Popular Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who is seeking to take power, said after the announcement that the vote would be about “Spain beating Sánchez.”