In brief
Carlos Mazón, the president of the Valencia region, has announced his resignation after intense public pressure regarding his handling of devastating floods last October, which resulted in 229 fatalities. Criticism mounted as it was revealed that Mazón spent crucial hours in a restaurant instead of managing the crisis. His resignation follows months of protests demanding accountability, reflecting public dissatisfaction and political ramifications for the ruling People's Party. The incident has provoked a wider debate on crisis management and political responsibility in emergency situations.
The president of Spain's Valencia region, Carlos Mazón, has resigned after months of pressure over his handling of flash floods last year.
A total of 229 people died in towns in the Valencia region on 29 October 2024, with a further eight dying in neighbouring regions, in Spain's worst natural disaster for decades.
Many in Valencia blamed Mazón for the scale of the tragedy because of how he and his government responded that day.
It emerged that the regional president had spent nearly four hours in a restaurant with a journalist, Maribel Vilaplana, while the floodwater was wreaking havoc and he did not attend emergency meetings during much of the day.
Mazón's government also failed to issue an emergency alert to the phones of Valencia residents warning them of the floods and providing advice until after 20:00, by which time dozens of people had already died.
I can't go on anymore... I know that I made mistakes, I acknowledge it and I will live with them for the rest of my life, Mazón said as he announced his decision, adding that he should have cancelled his schedule for that day to take charge of the crisis.
Polls had shown that the vast majority of people in Valencia wanted Mazón, of the conservative People's Party (PP), to step down because of his management of the floods.
Monthly protests were held demanding his resignation, most recently on 25 October, when an estimated 50,000 people turned out on the streets of Valencia. Mazón had been making fewer public appearances in recent months due to the abuse he received from members of the public.
However, his insistence on attending the memorial service for victims on the first anniversary of the tragedy last week angered relatives of those who died, leading to confrontations during the ceremony.
Mazón seemed shaken by the experience, which appeared to prompt his decision to resign.
His announcement came the same day that Vilaplana testified before a judge who is investigating possible negligence. Reports indicate she claimed that Mazón was constantly texting on his phone during that time.
Mazón will remain a member of the regional parliament, granting him immunity from prosecution in the ongoing investigation.
During his resignation announcement, he criticized the left-wing central government of Pedro Sánchez, claiming it blocked aid to Valencia purely for political gain.
The PP faces challenges in finding Mazón's replacement due to the party's reliance on the far-right Vox for parliamentary support, which complicates the succession process.
In response to Mazón's resignation, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, expressed support for him, emphasizing that while mistakes were made, they did not warrant the excessive blame placed upon him.
