Alberto Núñez Feijóo set the top positions on the Madrid list of the Partido Popular on 22 October 2026: Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo moves into second place, Borja Sémper takes third place. Confirmation came from the party headquarters in Madrid and concerns the candidate lists for the snap parliamentary election on 29 November 2026.
By pairing them at the top of the list alongside Feijóo, the PP is signalling a combative opposition approach and a campaign strongly focused on communication. Álvarez de Toledo, a long-serving MP and prominent critic of the governing coalition, represents a sharply defined parliamentary style. Sémper, currently the PP’s spokesperson, is regarded as an experienced communicator who is expected to bridge the gap between the party’s grassroots and voters open to switching allegiance.
The decision follows intense speculation in the Spanish press in recent days. Within the party, the combination is seen as an attempt to bring together different strands: Álvarez de Toledo was a prominent voice under previous party leaders and most recently served as deputy spokesperson for the group in Congress. After a period of political distance, Sémper returned to senior party roles in 2023 and has since taken on a prominent role in the election campaign.
The PP now faces the formal submission of candidate lists for Madrid and other provinces. According to party headquarters, the nominations are intended to provide certainty for campaign planning and to get mobilisation under way in the capital region early. There were initially no official reactions from other parties.
Assessments attributed to party insiders describe the line-up as a balance between a clearly combative opposition stance and a moderate appeal to voters. The statement did not include direct public quotes from the leadership about its internal deliberations. How far the move will resonate beyond the PP’s core electorate remains unclear and will depend on how the campaign develops up to 29 November 2026.
Madrid remains central to the national balance of power: in the capital region, the Partido Popular and the socialist PSOE traditionally compete for large numbers of seats, while Vox is vying for influence on the right. For Feijóo, presenting a united team is one element in bringing the campaign’s message together and sharpening its personnel profile. According to the party, further decisions on candidate lists in other constituencies are due in the coming days.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).