Spain's socialist government collapses as Sanchez blamed for 'destroying' country

Pedro Sanchez has called a snap election in Spain for November 29 as pressure mounts on his struggling socialist government.

The Spanish Prime Minister announced the early vote after parliament rejected key housing measures last week, setting off fresh political turmoil and more planned protests over the worsening housing crisis.

Going to the electorate now is a major gamble for Sanchez. While his housing proposals were well received by some voters, they were struck down by right-wing MPs, handing him another bruising setback.

Some Spaniards welcomed the election call, with one voter saying Sanchez was "destroying Spain" and it was time to remove him.

An election defeat would bring down one of Europe's few remaining left-leaning governments at a time when right-wing parties are making major gains across the continent.

Polls suggest the most likely result is a coalition led by the conservative People's Party with support from Vox, which would bring the hard Right into Spain's central government for the first time since democracy returned after Francisco Franco's death.

Opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo urged voters to reject the current government, saying the choice was between "four more years of what we've been living through" or giving "change a chance".