The national leadership of the Partido Popular (PP) has declined to offer explicit backing to Isabel Díaz Ayuso after the Community of Madrid acquired a luxury penthouse for her temporary use. Party officials have instead deferred to explanations from Ayuso and her regional government, keeping the national party at a distance from a purchase later followed by a proposed sale and failed auctions, alongside a financial-control inquiry.
On Wednesday, after news broke that the regional administration had purchased a penthouse in Chamberí, one of Madrid’s most expensive districts, no senior PP figures publicly defended Ayuso. At a press event in Congress, PP Secretary General Miguel Tellado avoided direct answers about the property, while Ayuso was questioned about the deal near Puerta del Sol. The purchase had not been publicly disclosed. It was reported after appearing in the Property Registry and covered by EL PAÍS.
The property was acquired in April 2026 by Planifica Madrid, a public company attached to the Community of Madrid’s Department of the Presidency. The penthouse is on the ninth floor at Paseo del General Martínez Campos, 35. It was initially described as temporary institutional space for meetings and other activity during planned renovations to the Real Casa de Correos, the regional government’s headquarters in Puerta del Sol. Work was scheduled to begin in August 2026.
Initial coverage described the apartment as measuring 485 square meters. Later cadastral data put its built area at 481 square meters: 382 square meters of dwelling space and 99 square meters of common elements. The administration did not disclose the acquisition price. The asking price later reported for the property was €6,649,201. The differing area figures and the gap between the undisclosed purchase price and the later asking price have drawn scrutiny.
By Thursday, the party’s headquarters in Génova addressed the issue at a press conference originally called to discuss wildfires and other current topics. Tellado said he would “refer to the explanations given by the Community of Madrid government,” offering no further defense or clarification. When pressed, he repeated that the regional government had provided the explanations it considered appropriate. He described the property as temporary institutional meeting space linked to the planned renovation.
Ayuso has described herself as the target of a “smear campaign” and did not disclose the purchase price. As the controversy unfolded, the regional government broadened its account of the property’s intended role. Presidency Minister and regional spokesperson Miguel Ángel García Martín defended a facility offering “workspace, rest areas and occasional accommodation” for officials. The Community of Madrid later told the Tribunal de Cuentas that the penthouse had been acquired “to support government departments and meet different institutional needs,” and “under no circumstances” as an official residence for the president.
That formal position formed part of the regional government’s request for the Tribunal de Cuentas to close its investigation into the purchase. The request is not itself a ruling. Separately, the administration announced that it would sell the property and direct the proceeds toward reconstruction in municipalities affected by wildfires in Madrid’s Sierra Oeste. A first auction attracted no buyer, and a second sale also closed without offers in October. Planifica Madrid then placed the penthouse in a permanent public offering, keeping it available at the initial asking price until it is sold or the company withdraws it.
The operation remained confidential for more than three months, until a media inquiry brought it to light. Génova sources said the national party leadership learned of the purchase through the press and had not discussed it directly with Ayuso’s team. Their recent communications had focused on the wildfire crisis. The controversy became public in late July, during a period of wildfires in the Sierra Oeste, but the PP’s national leadership did not unequivocally defend the regional decision.
Responding to criticism from government ministers, Tellado tried to shift attention to corruption cases involving the PSOE, specifically mentioning former Transport Minister José Luis Ábalos. He challenged the ministers’ criticism by referring to earlier controversies over public funds and property allocations involving the PSOE.
While the penthouse’s future remained unresolved, the Community of Madrid also considered other locations for institutional activity during the works at Puerta del Sol. Officials said the Real Casa de Correos would not meet security requirements for visits and official events during the renovation. One option was the Sala Canal de Isabel II in Chamberí, which the regional government described as a complementary venue for occasional use.
The purchase has drawn comparisons with earlier debates about public spending in Madrid. For example, a recent report on the Chamberí penthouse deal highlighted ongoing concerns about transparency and the use of public resources in the region. Criticism has focused on buying rather than renting a temporary facility, while the apartment’s residential configuration and scale have added to concerns. As the regional government considers temporary institutional space, attention remains on how it manages its real-estate assets and explains the transaction’s purpose.
