Real estate costs spark mass protest in Principality of Andorra

Andorra la Vella, capital of the Principality of Andorra. - MASTAR.

This is a protest on an unprecedented scale for the principality. Hundreds of people took part in the largest demonstration in Andorra's history on Tuesday night to protest against rising real estate prices. Protesters read a manifesto demanding "decent housing".

Housing has become a central theme of the recent elections. "This mobilization will become a before and after, and the political leaders know it," said one of the organizers of the movement, which is demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Javier Espota, who was re-elected in April to head''center-right coalition.

Access to housing was a central theme of the election campaign in the spring, with the prime minister promising to build affordable rental housing. Property prices in Andorra, a Pyrenean nation of 80,000 people, have risen by more than 30% since 2018, forcing some citizens to look for homes in neighboring Spain. Andorra has attracted wealthy individuals in recent years due to its attractive tax policies, which has led to an increase in house prices.