Madrid’s regional government has reinstated payments for former presidents, appointing Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, Esperanza Aguirre and Cristina Cifuentes as elective members of the Comisión Jurídica Asesora de la Comunidad de Madrid. The appointments were made in July 2026. Each will receive €750 net per meeting attended and could earn up to €33,750 annually by taking part in every session. The payments restore public compensation for former leaders, a practice halted in 2015 when the previous consultative council was dissolved.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s administration made the appointments after approving a new statute for former presidents in 2025. Under the revised rules, former presidents who served at least two years and began their term at the start of a legislature can apply for advisory roles. Compensation depends on attendance: with up to four plenary sessions per month, attending all of them would bring in €3,000 net monthly. The 2025 annual report recorded 45 plenary meetings, setting the maximum possible earnings at €33,750 per person for full participation.
The new arrangement replaces the previous system, which gave former presidents a fixed monthly salary, an official car and an assistant. The advisory role is limited to six years, with an extension to twelve available to those who governed for more than four years. The session fee was initially proposed at €459 but ultimately set at €750, a 63% increase. The payment is incompatible with other public indemnities or salaries, so recipients can receive only one form of compensation at a time.
Additional benefits for former Madrid presidents include two support staff, auxiliary resources, a car with driver and representation expenses for two years after leaving office, or four years if their term exceeded four years. They also retain access to institutional facilities and protocol services, reimbursement for institutional activity expenses, and security measures as needed. Ayuso’s government has restored a range of privileges and financial support for former presidents, reversing the previous decade’s austerity measures.
Not all former leaders qualify. The requirements exclude those who did not serve a full term or begin their mandate at the start of a legislature, including Ignacio González, Ángel Garrido and Pedro Rollán. The move has drawn attention to a broader trend of regional governments revisiting benefits for former officials. In a related development, Madrid’s regional government recently allocated €1 million to support businesses affected by wildfires, as detailed in a previous report on regional spending priorities.
The Comisión Jurídica Asesora is an active official consultative institution of the Community of Madrid, not a private or party body. It issues legal opinions on matters submitted by public authorities, including public-liability claims. Its 2026 publications include opinion 0571/26, classified under “Responsabilidad Patrimonial.” The commission’s work places the former presidents’ appointments within Madrid’s administrative legal-advisory structure. Ruiz-Gallardón, a former Spanish justice minister and mayor of Madrid, also took up a separate advisory role with Grupo Godó in October 2026, information from El Debate.
The restored payments and privileges reflect ongoing debates in Spain about the appropriate level of support for public officials after their terms end. The new statute formalizes and limits these benefits, while their financial implications remain impressive amid growing public scrutiny of political spending.
