Madrid eviction: An-Nahar says a buyer raised an 87-year-old's rent 275%; Observador gives no cause
Thousands marched in Madrid on Saturday over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman from the flat she had lived in for 70 years. One report we hold names her and gives a reason, citing a tenants' union. The other gives neither. Neither names the landlord.
What both agree on. Thousands marched in central Madrid on Saturday 26 September. They were protesting the eviction of a woman of 87 who had lived in the same flat for 70 years. Neither report gives a crowd figure.
Where they part. An-Nahar names her as Maricarmen Abascal. It says police broke down her door on Wednesday and she was carried out on a stretcher. Observador's evening bulletin gives two lines and no name.
| An-Nahar | Observador | |
|---|---|---|
| Names the tenant | Yes, and quotes her | No |
| Why she left | A company bought the building and raised the rent 275%, to €2,650 | Not given |
| Source of the rent figure | Spain's largest tenants' union | — |
| Names the landlord | No | No |
| Government response | A "Maricarmen law" expected at the next cabinet meeting | Not mentioned |
Her own words. An-Nahar says she is in hospital being treated for exhaustion. Speaking from there, Abascal said: "I want what happened to me to be a lesson that stops it happening to others."
The politics. An-Nahar says Pedro Sánchez's government is expected to approve automatic lease renewal and new limits on evictions. It adds that parliament may not pass them: the government lacks a majority, and a similar bill fell earlier this year.
What is not settled - The 275% rise rests on the tenants' union alone. We hold nothing from the company, a court or official records. - Neither report names the company or carries its side. - Only An-Nahar reports the package. We hold no text of it and no date for the cabinet meeting.
What this is about. An elderly tenant's eviction in Madrid has turned into a protest over the cost of renting in Spain.
How it got here. Rents in Spain's biggest cities, Madrid and Barcelona above all, have risen for years, faster than wages. Why is disputed. Tenants' groups blame investment firms that buy whole buildings, and flats turned into tourist lets. Landlords and the conservative opposition blame too little building, and rules they say drive owners out of the rental market.
In 2023 the national government passed Spain's first national housing law. It lets regions cap rents in areas they declare under stress. The Madrid region is run by the conservative Partido Popular, which opposed the law and has not applied the caps. Since 2024, large housing marches have been held in cities across Spain, and tenants' unions have become a political force.
Who is involved. - Maricarmen Abascal, 87, named by An-Nahar. She has become a symbol of the protests. - The company that bought her building. Neither report names it. - Tenants' unions, which organise renters. An-Nahar's source for the rent rise is one of them. - Pedro Sánchez, Socialist prime minister since 2018. He leads a minority coalition that needs smaller parties to pass any law. An-Nahar says he pledged last year to make housing a priority.
What is at stake. According to An-Nahar, the proposed "Maricarmen law" would renew leases automatically and make evictions harder. If it fails, as a similar bill did earlier this year, the argument moves to the general election due in 2027.
Where it stands. An-Nahar says the cabinet is expected to approve the package at its next meeting. It says parliament's approval is not assured.
What is being argued about
- Why an 87-year-old tenant was evicted after 70 years in her flat
- A 275% rent rise that only a tenants' union has put a number on
- A proposed 'Maricarmen law' on lease renewal and evictions, and whether parliament will pass it
- Who is named in the eviction: the tenant and the police, but not the landlord
One eviction, two accountsSide by side
| Outlet | What it said | Cause given? |
|---|---|---|
| An-Nahar | Thousands marched for Maricarmen Abascal, 87, evicted after a company bought her building and raised the rent 275% to €2,650 | Yes — attributed to Spain's largest tenants' union |
| Observador | Thousands protest in Madrid against the eviction of a woman of 87 who had lived 70 years in the same home | No |
Neither report names the company that bought the building.
Sources
An-Nahar
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
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Observador
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
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An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
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Observador
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
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Who gets namedChart
A count of what the two reports we hold contain. Not a rating of either outlet.
Sources
An-Nahar
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
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From the eviction to the marchTimeline
- 2026-09-23— no time published Police Break down Abascal's door; she is carried out on a stretcherAn-Nahar
- 2026-09-26— no time published Maricarmen Abascal Video from hospital urges Spaniards to join the protest, hours before the marchAn-Nahar
- 2026-09-2618:12 An-Nahar publication time (UTC) An-Nahar Reports thousands marching, the 275% rise and the 'Maricarmen law' 275%
- 2026-09-2618:13 Observador publication time (UTC) Observador Evening bulletin: thousands protest in Madrid
An-Nahar says the eviction was on Wednesday. In the week of the march, that is 23 September.
Sources
An-Nahar
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias
The tenant has a name in one report; the landlord has none in either
One report names Maricarmen Abascal and quotes her, and the other calls her a woman of 87. Neither names the company that bought the flat or carries its side. The 275% rise rests on the tenants' union alone.
1 reports naming the evicted woman
0 reports naming the landlord company
1 reports giving a rent figure
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources
An-Nahar
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Claims and verdicts
true
Thousands marched in Madrid against the eviction of an 87-year-old woman who had lived in the flat for 70 years.
An-Nahar and Observador both report thousands marching and give the same age and the same 70 years in the home. Neither gives an exact crowd figure.
Checked against 2 sources:
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Observador
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified
The company that bought the building raised her rent by 275%, to €2,650.
Only An-Nahar gives the figure, and it attributes it to Spain's largest tenants' union. Observador gives no figure.
Checked against 1 source:
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
unverified
Sánchez's government is expected to approve a 'Maricarmen law' with automatic lease renewal and new limits on evictions at its next cabinet meeting.
Only An-Nahar reports the package, and it adds that parliament may not pass it because the government lacks a majority. No other report we hold mentions the package.
Checked against 1 source:
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Who wrote it
2 reports we hold carry no byline — we do not invent one.
Coverage, outlet by outlet
Observador
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
Observador
🇵🇹PT ·
digital · independent
As notícias das 19h
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Observador →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed The fuel retailers' charge is attributed, 'accuses'. No government response is carried. ×1Affected person unnamed the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given ×1Analyst verdict as headline one commentator's judgement on European mood is the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the charge against two foreign states is carried as the prime minister's view, not the report's ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentConfirms that thousands marched. Gives the same age and the same 70 years in the home, in a two-line evening bulletin with no name and no cause.
Programas / Noticiário Ativar alertas × Siga o programa Noticiário e receba um alerta assim que um novo episódio é publicado. As notícias das 19h As notícias na Rádio Observador. Aconteça o que acontecer. Rádio Observador Texto 26 set. 2026, 19:13 Partilhar artigo Copiar ligação Copiado Email Facebook X Linkedin WhatsApp As mais lidas Esta transcrição foi gerada automaticamente por Inteligência Artificial e pode conter erros ou imprecisões. Do Ricardo Lopes. Ricardo, boa tarde mais uma vez. Começamos esta edição com a política nacional, com olhos postos no Orçamento do Estado. O Livre acusa o
Affected person unnamed: the woman is not named, and no cause of the eviction is given — “contra o despejo de uma mulher de 87 anos, que vivia há 70 anos na mesma casa”
Who is named as acting: The woman is unnamed, and no one is named as carrying out the eviction — “o despejo de uma mulher de 87 anos, que vivia há 70 anos na mesma casa”
Read it at Observador →
https://observador.pt/programas/noticiario/as-noticias-das-19h-2176/
An-Nahar
Centre
estimate · not a score
An-Nahar
🇱🇧LB ·
newspaper · independent
طرد مسنّة من منزلها يشعل احتجاجات أزمة السكن في مدريد
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at An-Nahar →
What we have measured
Accused named the accused is named and his age is given ×1Accused named names the accused and gives his age ×1A contested finding relayed with the case still the prime minister's claim carried, with the court proceedings noted in the same sentence ×1Active voice and a toll in the background paragraph, the July strikes get named actors and counted dead — the only counted dead in this story ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentNames Maricarmen Abascal and quotes her. Gives the cause: a company bought the building and raised the rent 275% to €2,650, according to Spain's largest tenants' union. Says police broke down her door and a 'Maricarmen
شارك الآلاف في مسيرة بالعاصمة الإسبانية مدريد، اليوم السبت، احتجاجاً على طرد امرأة مسنة تبلغ 87 عاماً من شقة عاشت فيها طوال حياتها، مطالبين بتوفير حماية أكبر للمستأجرين.وأعادت مشاهد إجلاء ماريكارمن أباسكال على نقالة من شقتها في مدريد الأربعاء، عقب كسر الشرطة بابها، تسليط الضوء على أزمة السكن في إسبانيا، قبيل الانتخابات العامة المقررة عام 2027.وردَّد المتظاهرون أثناء مسيرتهم في وسط مدريد شعارات وحملوا لافتات تطالب باتخاذ تدابير للحد من ارتفاع تكاليف السكن وجعل عمليات الإخلاء أكثر صعوبة.وكُتب على إحدى اللافتات: قد تكون أنت ماريكارمن التالية.حضّت أباسكال التي أصبحت رمزا لأزمة السكن، الإسبان على ا
Figure attributed: the rent rise comes from the largest tenants' union, not from the landlord or court records — “ورفعت قيمة الإيجار بنسبة 275% لتصل إلى 2650 يورو، وفق ما ذكر أكبر اتحادات المستأجرين في إسبانيا”
Landlord unnamed: the company that bought the building is not named and does not respond — “بعد أن استحوذت شركة على العقار”
Actor named: the police are named as the ones who broke down the door — “عقب كسر الشرطة بابها”
Affected person named and quoted: the evicted woman is named and quoted in her own words — “أريد لما حدث لي أن يكون عبرة تحول دون تكرار الأمر مع أشخاص آخرين”
Who is named as acting: Police are named as breaking the door — “عقب كسر الشرطة بابها”
Who is named as acting: The rent rise is attributed to a tenants' union, and the company that raised it is not named — “بعد أن استحوذت شركة على العقار ورفعت قيمة الإيجار بنسبة 275% لتصل إلى 2650 يورو، وفق ما ذكر أكبر اتحادات المستأجرين في إسبانيا”
Voice of the affected: The evicted woman is named and quoted in her own words — “أريد لما حدث لي أن يكون عبرة تحول دون تكرار الأمر مع أشخاص آخرين”
Political frame: Ends on the law's chances in parliament rather than on the tenants — “لكن موافقة البرلمان عليها غير مضمونة، إذ تفتقر حكومة سانشيز إلى الأغلبية.”
Read it at An-Nahar →
https://www.annahar.com/international/europe/351664/طرد-مسنة-من-منزلها-…