Manuel Bautista, the mayor of Móstoles, retains the public backing of Madrid’s Popular Party (PP) as he faces allegations of sexual and workplace harassment from a former PP councillor described as his former number two. She alleges that Bautista made three sexual propositions and subjected her to professional harassment after she rejected them. Bautista has denied the accusations and says he has no intention of leaving the mayor’s office or resigning.
Alfonso Serrano, secretary general of the PP in Madrid and a basic figure in the party’s regional structure, responded to press questions with emphatic statements of support for Bautista. Leaving a Nueva Economía Fórum event at the Four Seasons Hotel, Serrano sidestepped questions about whether the mayor should resign and shifted attention to national political controversies involving the central government. Serrano has also said the PP would support Bautista if he wanted to seek renomination for the 2027 municipal elections.
Other senior PP figures echoed this position. Carlos Díaz-Pache, the party’s spokesperson in the Madrid Assembly, called the support “absolute.” Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid, declined to comment when approached after appearing at the same event. The party’s backing has drawn scrutiny amid criticism that its responses to allegations involving PP officials have differed in Móstoles and Algeciras. José Ignacio Landaluce, the PP mayor of Algeciras, resigned after two party members accused him of sexual assault. Madrid’s PSOE has called on Ayuso to clarify whether Bautista will step aside.
The case is being handled by Court No. 2 for Violence Against Women in Móstoles. Bautista was summoned to appear as a person under investigation on October 9, 2026; a political profile later listed December 1 as the scheduled date for his statement. Five witnesses requested by the private prosecution were due to testify on October 23 and November 6. The court rejected Bautista’s appeal against admission of the complaint on July 1, while the Madrid Provincial Court ordered the investigation reopened on October 5. It said investigative steps remained to establish who may have accessed the complainant’s account and deleted messages.
The complainant first filed a complaint in November 2024 over the deletion of messages from her account, then submitted a broader complaint alleging sexual and workplace harassment in February 2026. The allegations also concern moral integrity and include claims of injuries, coercion and disclosure of secrets. The case centers on her account that, after she rejected Bautista’s alleged advances, she faced professional isolation and humiliation, culminating in the removal of her official responsibilities.
Francisco Martín, the government delegate in Madrid, has renewed calls for Bautista to resign, citing the need for “responsibility, exemplary conduct, and decency.” Martín said the mayor should have stepped down months ago, when the case first became public. He also criticized Ayuso and other PP leaders for what he described as their continued protection of Bautista while the complainant was marginalized.
Documentation reviewed by EL PAÍS indicates that the former councillor first reported the alleged harassment through the PP’s internal channels and held two meetings with regional party leaders. During those meetings, she was reportedly pressured not to take the matter to court. Serrano, who had defended Bautista’s innocence at a national PP press conference, called the complainant’s recording of private conversations an act of bad faith. He is also reported to have advised her against legal action, warning that it could harm her.
The controversy over the PP’s handling of internal disputes and misconduct allegations extends beyond Madrid. Similar tensions have surfaced in other regions, including the recent crisis within the PP’s Valencia branch, where leadership struggles and calls for party congresses have exposed broader challenges for the party’s national leadership. Recent developments in Valencia have highlighted the difficulties the PP faces in managing internal dissent as it seeks to maintain public trust amid ongoing scandals.
Political opponents and equality officials, including Spain’s minister for equality, Ana Redondo, have criticized the contrast between the Móstoles and Algeciras cases and questioned whether the PP applies a consistent anti-harassment standard. The outcome of the Móstoles proceedings may shape debate over how allegations are handled within party structures and over political accountability. Further court dates are expected to draw attention locally and nationally as the PP’s response remains under scrutiny.
