Isabel Díaz Ayuso accused La Revuelta of using Santiago Abascal’s appearance to deepen the divide between the PP and Vox. Government allies criticised the interview for the opposite reason: they argued that it gave the far right a platform on public television.
The appearance on 10 November 2026 set a programme record, averaging 4,815,000 viewers and a 33.6% audience share, according to figures from Fifty5Blue compiled by Barlovento Comunicación and reported by EFE. It reached 8.67 million unique viewers, or 18.2% of Spain’s population. The average audience exceeded the 4,387,000 viewers for Pedro Sánchez’s 22 October appearance, although Sánchez’s broadcast had a slightly higher share of 33.9%. El País reported that Abascal’s edition was also the year’s most-watched non-sports broadcast.
Ayuso called the programme’s approach a disgrace in remarks to Antena 3, saying it aimed to demonise Vox and portray the PP as having no possible coalition partner. She also criticised presenter David Broncano’s handling of the interview and said Alberto Núñez Feijóo should avoid programmes of that kind. Ayuso further alleged that TVE was under the control of Pedro Sánchez. Abascal also directed messages at the PP and Feijóo at the beginning and end of the interview. RTVE Stories reported that Vox imposed conditions concerning the audience in the studio, prompting debate about the format’s neutrality.
Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida defended Vox’s presence on air, citing its status as a legal, constitutional party and the country’s third-largest political force. He also backed Feijóo’s decision not to take part in debates or interviews on the public broadcaster for the time being. Almeida accused TVE of serving the Government.
That defence contrasted with criticism from government allies. Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun, speaking to Las Mañanas de RNE, said the programme had shown the far right at its fullest on public television. He also objected to Abascal bringing his own audience and argued that the interview displaced the programme’s humour.
Health Minister Mónica García said on X that the appearance had humanised Abascal. Her post accused RTVE of treating him with consideration that Vox, she argued, denied to transgender people and migrants, as well as to victims of sexual violence. The criticism was directed at the effect of the interview rather than its format.
Podemos accused the PSOE of approving the appearance and giving Vox greater visibility. European Parliament member Irene Montero complained on X that Abascal had been given prime-time airtime while Podemos was excluded from debates. Party leader Ione Belarra also questioned why the PSOE would support the interview while barring Podemos from debates.
The objections extend beyond the main parties. PNV spokesman Joseba Díez Antxustegi called the decision to give Abascal space on public television terrible in an interview with Onda Vasca. He said the Vox leader was beginning to look like a possible Spanish deputy prime minister and urged Basque voters to turn out on 29 November. An earlier report on Ada Colau had described her as the fifth political representative expected in La Revuelta’s election-season series.
ERC spokesman Gabriel Rufián told Cadena Ser that Abascal had dominated the exchange. He said Broncano had tried to challenge him but had fallen short, while asking critics not to attack the presenter. Abascal, speaking to Cope on Tuesday, described the interview as closer to a debate and said there had been tension that made constructive dialogue difficult. He also alleged that pressure from the governing left had affected Broncano. RTVE president José Pablo López defended the decision to broadcast the interview to avoid accusations of censorship, while acknowledging that it was probably not the ideal setting for Broncano’s talents and that the appearance invited reflection.
