Isabel Díaz Ayuso facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Most Excellent Isabel Díaz Ayuso
Isabel Díaz Ayuso in 2019
President of the Community of Madrid
Incumbent
Assumed office 19 August 2019
Vice President	Ignacio Aguado (2019−2021) Enrique Ossorio (2022–2023)
Preceded by	Ángel Garrido (acting, Pedro Rollán Ojeda)
President of the People's Party of the Community of Madrid
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 May 2022
Secretary-General	Alfonso Serrano
Preceded by	Cristina Cifuentes (acting, Pío García-Escudero)
Deputy Councillor of the Presidency and Justice of the Community of Madrid
In office 26 September 2017 – 22 May 2018
President	Cristina Cifuentes
Preceded by	Enrique Ruiz Escudero
Succeeded by	José Enrique Núñez Guijarro
Member of the Assembly of Madrid
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 June 2019
In office 15 July 2011 – 26 September 2017
Personal details
Born	(1978-10-17) 17 October 1978 (age 46) Madrid, Spain
Political party	PP (2005–present)
Spouse	Sergio Hernández ​ ​ (m. 2008; div. 2011)​
Domestic partner	Alberto González (2021–present)
Alma mater	Complutense University of Madrid
Signature

Isabel Natividad Díaz Ayuso (born 17 October 1978) is a Spanish politician and journalist. She has been the president of the Community of Madrid since 2019. She also leads the People's Party of the Community of Madrid.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso is a member of the People's Party. She was chosen to run for president of the Community of Madrid in the 2019 Madrilenian regional election. Even though her party did not win the most votes, she was later elected president by the Assembly of Madrid. Her government was the first time the region was led by a coalition. This meant her party, the People's Party (PP), worked with another party called Citizens. It was also the first time Vox supported a regional government in Madrid.

About Isabel Díaz Ayuso

Isabel Díaz Ayuso was born on 17 October 1978 in Madrid, Spain. Her parents worked in the business of medical and orthopaedic supplies. She studied journalism at the Complutense University of Madrid. She also earned a master's degree in Political Communication.

Isabel was baptized as a Catholic. She later returned to the Catholic faith during the COVID-19 pandemic. She mentioned how important it was to see people praying for her.

Her Journey in Politics

Isabel Díaz Ayuso joined the Popular Party (PP) in 2005. She started working in the press department for Alfredo Prada, a government minister in Madrid. She became good at political communication. She also managed online campaigns for the PP, including for Cristina Cifuentes in 2015.

In 2011, she ran for a seat in the Madrid Assembly. She was not elected at first. However, she later became a Member of Parliament on 15 July 2011. She was re-elected in 2015. She served as a deputy spokesperson for her party. She left this role when she was appointed as a vice-counselor in the regional government.

On 11 January 2019, the PP president, Pablo Casado, chose her to lead the party in the 2019 Madrilenian regional election. In that election, her party won 30 seats. This made them the second most voted party.

Leading the Community of Madrid

First Government Term

Díaz Ayuso at the Assembly of Madrid, during her swearing-in ceremony.

Isabel Díaz Ayuso became President of the Community of Madrid on 14 August 2019. She received 68 votes in favor. These votes came from members of the Popular, Citizens', and Vox parties.

In January 2020, she appointed Miguel Ángel Rodríguez as her chief of staff. Her vice president, Ignacio Aguado, expressed his disagreement with this choice.

On 1 December 2020, Díaz Ayuso opened the Hospital Isabel Zendal. Her government praised the hospital. However, some people criticized it for its high cost.

After Storm Filomena, some people criticized her government's response. They said the government did not prepare enough for the storm. The storm caused damage to parks and roads. Many citizens were stuck on roads overnight.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected Spain, especially Madrid. On 14 March 2020, the Spanish government declared a state of alarm. The Community of Madrid government took immediate actions. These included closing schools and entertainment venues. They also closed shops that were not selling basic needs. Travel was limited to work or buying food.

The government also took steps to protect public transport. They offered tax reductions for businesses that kept their employees. Remote work was encouraged for many people.

Hospitals became very busy. Ayuso's government used the IFEMA exhibition center as an emergency hospital. It was built very quickly, in less than two weeks. This emergency hospital had 5,500 beds for patients. Hotels in Madrid were also used to care for less sick patients.

Ayuso's government faced different opinions on some decisions. For example, giving out free protective masks to citizens. Some worried this would make masks scarce in hospitals. However, hospitals were also well supplied.

In October 2020, the regional minister for nursing homes resigned. He stressed the importance of unity between different government levels. This was during a time of disagreement between the regional and national governments.

2021 Early Election

On 10 March 2021, Ayuso announced an early election in Madrid. This happened after other parties tried to remove the People's Party-led government in another region. The election was set for 4 May. Other parties tried to stop the election by filing motions of no confidence.

She also approved a tax reform in April 2021. This reform aimed to lower the estate and gift tax.

Her party won the May elections. She was able to form a new government. This time, her party governed with the support of Vox. Her former partners, Citizens, did not win any seats.

Second Government Term

On 31 August 2021, she announced her plan to run for the leadership of her party in the region. This position had been open since the previous president resigned.

In November 2022, many people gathered in Madrid. They were protesting against proposed changes to the public health system. They were concerned about the health policies of Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Unions stated that health services had been under pressure for years. They blamed a lack of resources and poor regional management.

Third Government Term

After the 2023 Madrilenian regional election, the People's Party won a clear majority. This was the first time under her leadership. This allowed her to govern without needing support from the Vox party.

Political Views

Isabel Díaz Ayuso has been described as a populist politician. She has stated that she is "next to Vox, not in front of it." In May 2021, she said that "when they call you a fascist you know you’re doing something right." She also said in April 2021 that she and her party "agreed on fundamental issues" with Vox.

She has called for the Basque nationalist party EH Bildu to be banned. She claimed that "Eta is still alive" in the party. She has also made strong comments about other political figures.

Some of her views have caused disagreements with her government partners. This has sometimes led to early elections.

Social Issues

In April 2019, she suggested that unborn children should be counted as family members. This would help families get social aid or school places. She did not clarify if aid would continue if the baby was not born.

In February 2020, she commented on the LGBT law in Madrid. She said that if it were up to her, some parts of the law might be changed. However, during a debate, she clarified that she does not want to remove the LGBT law. Instead, she believes these laws can be "improved upon."

Views on History

She disagreed with the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. He had asked for an apology for colonialism. Ayuso said that indigenous movements were promoting a "simplistic revision of Spanish history." She stated that Spain brought "Spanish and... Catholicism, and therefore civilisation and freedom, to the American continent." She also disagreed with Pope Francis's statement that the Catholic Church should apologize for its actions in Mexico.

Climate Views

Regarding climate change, she has said it "has always existed." She has also dismissed "apocalyptic claims" as part of a "communist plot." In April 2019, she called night traffic jams a "hallmark" of Madrid. She later clarified that she loves Madrid's nightlife and hates traffic jams. She just missed the lively atmosphere.

Awards and Recognition

In September 2021, Ayuso received the Bruno Leoni Prize. This award recognized Madrid's policies during the COVID-19 epidemic. These policies aimed to avoid widespread lockdowns. They also focused on protecting individual freedoms and economic activities. The prize is given by Istituto Bruno Leoni, an Italian classical-liberal think tank.

Election Results

Images for kids

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  Isabel Díaz Ayuso's signature

See also

In Spanish: Isabel Díaz Ayuso para niños