At a meeting of the Junta Directiva Autonómica of the Partido Popular in Oviedo on 15 October 2026, MP Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo described the parliamentary election scheduled for 29 November as a fundamental choice “between decency and criminality”. She called for a “revolution of decency” to force Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez out of office, and used her appearance to launch a fierce attack on the socialist candidacy in Asturias.
Álvarez de Toledo specifically criticised the fact that Adriana Lastra heads the list of the PSOE for the Congreso de los Diputados in the Principado de Asturias. Lastra is currently the central government’s delegate in Asturias. In her speech, the PP politician questioned Lastra’s “moral suitability” and linked this to a personal accusation against the PSOE leadership. She said she could not stand on the list of a man “who allowed his organisation secretary to subject me to a campaign of bullying when I was ill and three months pregnant” – an allusion to the PSOE’s organisation secretary Santos Cerdán. This is an allegation made by her; no legal action or disciplinary consequences were known at the time of the speech.
At the same time, Álvarez de Toledo portrayed her own party in contrast. She defended PP chairman Alberto Núñez Feijóo as “a decent man” and claimed that a PP government would strengthen institutional standards again. Her forceful rhetoric is part of the Partido Popular’s national campaign line, which presents the election as a decision about political integrity.
The remarks in Oviedo are also significant in the regional context: Asturias is considered difficult ground for the Partido Popular, where mobilisation around national issues is often seen as a way to benefit the party. For the PSOE, meanwhile, the prominent candidacy of Adriana Lastra is intended to hold on to its core vote and appeal to undecided voters. No official response from the PSOE camp to Álvarez de Toledo’s accusations had initially been reported.
The remarks come during the final, heated phase before the vote at the end of November. Whether the Partido Popular’s moral framing gains traction in Asturias or nationwide will depend on the course and tone of the rest of the campaign and on the responses of those targeted. What is clear is that the Oviedo speech has visibly intensified the conflict between the PP and PSOE in the final stretch.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).