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1.1204EUR/USD · ECB reference rate Mon., Oct. 5 · −0.19%
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, TUE., OCT. 6, 2026No. 2 · Morning, 6:00 a.m. CEST6 a.m. CEST
BEL 205,498.96▼0.12%10/5EUR/USD1.1204▼0.19%10/5S&P 5007,773.95▲0.66%10/5WTI$89.43▼1.84%10/5Gold$4,156.80▼0.13%10/5
World · SpainPress ✓ 5 outlets · statements by Sánchez via AFP and local media

Sánchez calls early elections for November 29 after Congress rejects his housing decrees

The Spanish prime minister dissolves the Cortes nine months before the end of the legislative term. The trigger is the housing crisis. The euro and the Spanish government bond yield reacted nervously.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the dissolution of the Cortes on Monday, October 5, and called early general elections for November 29, nine months before the end of the legislative term, according to Por Esto and Sitio Andino, among others. The immediate trigger is that Congress rejected two government decrees against the housing crisis (Euronews). Sánchez had previously repeated that elections would only come in 2027. According to AFP, he wants to renew his mandate after that defeat; the housing shortage led to demonstrations in several cities.

In his speech, according to Menorca.info, Sánchez spoke of a fight against “very dangerous economic elites”. Spain is the fourth-largest economy in the eurozone, and the Spanish government bond yield rose slightly after the news (Euronews). For Belgium this is mainly a European market theme: uncertainty in Madrid came on top of French budget worries and weighed on the euro. DailyDrop has not yet seen any polls for November 29.

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By the numbers
November 29date of the early elections
9 monthsearlier than the end of the legislative term
2housing decrees rejected by Congress
Markets · EuroPress ✓ 4 outlets · rates according to Euronews and Courthouse News

Euro falls to lowest level in 17 months on French debt worries and the Spanish elections

The euro fell to $1.1161 in Asian trading on Monday, its lowest level in 17 months, and recovered to about 1.12 at the European open (Euronews, Courthouse News). The French ten-year yield rose to 4.917% in early trading, close to a 24-year high, after a disappointing budget plan for 2027. The spread with Germany was about 146 basis points, after the biggest weekly rise in 17 years.

The bank ING warned that the euro could pick up “easily another 2%” of risk premium if the selling of bonds continues. StoneX calls the euro the best thermometer of nervousness in the European bond market, because equity markets held up better. FXStreet noted that French and Spanish yields fell again that day, but that the recovery may be temporary. The ECB reference rate came in at $1.1204.

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Word of the day
Basis pointInterest rate

One hundredth of a percentage point. A gap of 146 basis points between two loans means 1.46 percentage points more interest.

Society · CybersecurityPress ✓ 5 outlets · figures according to companies and authorities

Data of 700,000 people from Wallonia’s IFAPME on the dark web, and a Danish population register with 8.8 million records hacked

The personal data of 700,000 people from the database of the Walloon training network IFAPME can be found free of charge on a dark web forum, VRT NWS reports. According to Cybernews, it includes names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, national register numbers and bank details. The VRT places the attack in February. The security firm Fox&Fish also says it has found data on another 148,000 Belgians from a database it does not name. DailyDrop could not confirm that figure independently.

Separately, the Danish ministry reported that unauthorized parties gained access to the name, address and CPR number of about 8.8 million people in the central population register (Khaleej Times, Help Net Security). The attackers got in through a private company that has access to the register and whose rights remained active. The figure is higher than Denmark’s population because the register also includes people who have died or emigrated. The police are investigating and the access was withdrawn (Help Net Security, The Local DK). The two cases are unrelated.

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Economy · ConstructionPress · one outlet · figures from Embuild

Almost 9,300 construction companies ceased to exist in the first half of 2026

In the first half of 2026, 9,270 construction companies ceased their activities, VRT NWS reports, based on figures from the construction federation Embuild. More than 1,500 of them went bankrupt. The figure thus covers both bankruptcies and other closures.

DailyDrop has no second independent source for this figure and does not know the comparable figures from last year. We therefore cannot say whether this is an increase or a normal pattern in a sector with many small businesses. Anyone looking for a contractor can check its details in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises.

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World · EnergyPress ✓ 4 outlets · statements by Ghalibaf, market data separate

Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed until the US honors the June memorandum; oil closes lower anyway

After the weekend, Gulf News, Republic World, Jordan News and Oman Observer summarized statements by Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian parliament: the Strait of Hormuz stays closed until the US fulfills its obligations under the June memorandum. Among the demands, the reports mention lifting the naval blockade and releasing frozen assets. According to the reports, he was responding to a recent American proposal passed on via an intermediary, and said that “the era of wasting time is over”. What is new compared with our previous issue? According to a Ground News overview, the 14-point memorandum from June has meanwhile collapsed. Iran and Oman are said to have agreed on navigation coordinates, but Tehran still demands that ships ask permission and pay transit fees.

The markets did not react in one direction. American crude oil of the WTI type closed 1.84% lower on Monday at $89.43 a barrel, gold closed 0.13% lower at $4,156.8 and the S&P 500 closed 0.66% higher at 7,773.95 points. DailyDrop did not get confirmation of exactly what moved the oil price and therefore draws no link to the statements.

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In brief
  • S&P 500 7,773.95 (+0.66%), WTI $89.43 (−1.84%), gold $4,156.8 (−0.13%) on Mondaymarket data
  • ECB reference rate for the euro: $1.1204 on Monday, against 1.1225 on FridayECB
  • Spanish government bond yield rises slightly after the news about the electionsEuronews
  • Jair Bolsonaro’s wife wins a seat in the Brazilian SenateBluewin
  • Denmark: private company’s access to the population register withdrawn, investigation under wayHelp Net Security
  • Sánchez: “We had to resist very dangerous economic elites”Menorca.info
Seven minutes every morning, one front page

Unverified — what we could not confirm

Rumors of early Spanish elections. A GBM report on October 5 said Sánchez would make a statement following rumors. That was confirmed: elections on November 29 (Por Esto, Sitio Andino).
“Hackers stole the data of 8.8 million Danes.” The figure is in the headlines, but it is higher than the population (around 6 million). The register also includes people who have died or emigrated (The Local DK, Help Net Security).
Glossary · dotted words — economics, law, security and science terms explained in the context of the story. The list grows every day.
INSIDESánchez calls early elections for November 29 after Congress rejects his housing decreesWorld · SpainEuro falls to lowest level in 17 months on French debt worries and the Spanish electionsMarkets · EuroData of 700,000 people from Wallonia’s IFAPME on the dark web, and a Danish population register with 8.8 million records hackedSociety · CybersecurityAlmost 9,300 construction companies ceased to exist in the first half of 2026Economy · ConstructionIran keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed until the US honors the June memorandum; oil closes lower anywayWorld · Energy