A luxury penthouse for Ayuso: the Community of Madrid buys her a "temporary office" of 485 meters

BarcelonaThe Community of Madrid has bought a 485-square-meter penthouse as a "temporary office" for Isabel Díaz Ayuso, according to published this Wednesday El País. The property, located in the Chamberí residential neighborhood and including a 199-square-meter terrace, will be used by the Madrid president "during the renovation" of the Royal House of Correos, headquarters of the regional government, according to the version given to the aforementioned newspaper by a spokesperson for the Madrid executive. The PSOE has already requested explanations.

Ayuso's government has admitted that the acquisition of the apartment, which was not advertised nor included in any budget or transparency portal, was made in mid-April by Planifica Madrid, the public company that manages the Community's land, but it does not clarify how much it cost. According to the investigations of the Prisa group newspaper, a penthouse of these characteristics is priced around six million euros.

The same information indicates that the penthouse is on the ninth floor of a residential building without offices on Paseo del General Martínez Campos, next to the Sorolla Museum and Paseo de la Castellana, and assures that the seller was the economist and writer Astrid Gil-Casares, who is also the ex-wife of Ferrovial's president, Rafael del Pino Calvo-Sotelo, one of the richest men in Spain. The article states that until the time of the purchase by the Madrid government, the apartment was rented to a couple.

The official explanations provided do not clarify whether Ayuso will also live in the property and are limited to explaining that she will work there "with a minimal team" while the works at the headquarters of her executive, which "will begin in August," are underway. However, El País maintains that this building completed facade restoration works last year. The regional government also does not clarify why they did not opt to rent an apartment instead of buying it, considering its supposed temporary use.

The minister and socialist candidate for the Community, Óscar López, hurried this Wednesday to ask for explanations for the purchase of the penthouse. "Millions of euros from all Madrid residents for the use and enjoyment of Mrs. Ayuso," he criticized in a message on the social network X, adding: "Today they must explain how, how much, why, and for what reason".

The precedent: the use of an advisor to find an apartment

The controversy arises after in April –when the penthouse was acquired– Eldiario.es already revealed that Ayuso had used a Community official to search for and buy a new flat in Madrid. This is Álvaro Sanz, head of the office of the presidency of the Madrid Community, and he was in charge of contacts with the representatives of at least one property, of arranging visits to the property and, even, of negotiating the purchase price.

In this case, the objective was a flat also in the Chamberí neighbourhood of about 100 square meters and an initial price of 850,000 euros. The Madrid president visited it last December and January, first alone and then with her partner, Alberto González Amador, although finally the purchase – for which her advisor would also have negotiated – did not materialize.