The controversy over her partner’s real estate businesses forces the PSOE spokesperson to resign

The spokesperson for the Federal Executive of the PSOE, Montse Mínguez, has resigned from her responsibilities in the party and has resigned from leading the candidacy for Congress for Lleida in the general elections of November 29. The decision comes after several days of controversy over the real estate activity of his partner, Sergi Vélez, linked to a business network that It has around thirty homes for rent and, according to published information, has carried out evictions of tenants.

The case has placed the PSOE in the face of a political contradiction that is difficult to avoid. The party has made the defense of the right to housing one of its main banners, while the businesses of a person close to its spokesperson are linked to the exploitation of rental properties.

Mínguez communicated his decision on Friday through a message on social networks, in which he assured that he was taking a step back because he considered it to be the best for the collective project to which he had dedicated his work. He also defended that he leaves with a clear conscience and faithful to his principles. The leader had assumed the federal spokesperson in July 2025 and was called to head the socialist list for Lleida.

The PSOE defends the legality of business

The controversy had led several socialist leaders to come out publicly in defense of Mínguez. The Minister for Digital Transformation, Oscar Lopezmaintained that the business activity of the spokesperson’s partner was legal and He defended that the debate on housing should focus on the policies of the parties, instead of singling out those who carry out legal private activity.

Mínguez herself had also assured that her partner’s businesses complied with current legislation, including the housing regulations applicable in Catalonia. However, the political question goes beyond determining whether a business activity formally complies with the law: it also affects the distance between the public discourse of an organization and the economic interests that move in its environment.

The management of rental homes does not in itself imply illegality, and the known information does not demonstrate that Mínguez participates directly in these businesses. But the information about the volume of properties and the evictions associated with this activity have fueled criticism, especially due to the position that the spokesperson has maintained in the public debate on housing and large property owners.

The opposition has taken advantage of the case to attack the PSOE, although the controversy also questions the party itself about the scope of its commitments in the face of speculation. In a country where the price of rent expels numerous families from their neighborhoods and where evictions continue to be a threat for thousands of homes, the defense of housing as a right requires more than statements against investment funds.

Sánchez regrets his departure and denounces the political climate

The President of the Government, Pedro Sanchezregretted the resignation and He assured that he had tried to convince Mínguez to continue. He described her as a good politician and an outstanding spokesperson, and He attributed his decision to personal suffering caused by the climate of harshness and hostility which, in his opinion, affects both public officials and their families.

Sánchez maintained that Spanish politics has crossed lines that should not have been crossed and expressed his regret at the departure of a leader whom he considers an asset for the party. The PSOE, for its part, thanked him for his dedication and publicly respected his decision.

The resignation closes, at least for now, the internal crisis that threatened to continue during the pre-election campaign. But it does not resolve the underlying question: what measures the PSOE is willing to adopt to limit the speculative housing business and guarantee that access to a home does not depend on the profitability that the owners can extract. The contradiction is especially visible at a time when the housing emergency has become one of the main social conflicts in the country. While thousands of tenants demand effective rent controls and protection against evictions, the Government has yet to demonstrate that its commitment to the right to housing can be translated into structural changes and not remain in a rhetorical dispute with the opposition.