The leader of Spain’s Valencia region, which was devastated by the deadliest floods in decades, admitted to mistakes on Friday but rejected calls for his resignation.
The catastrophic floods of October 29 claimed 224 lives across Spain, with 216 of the fatalities occurring in Valencia. The region suffered widespread destruction, with damaged infrastructure, wrecked buildings, and submerged fields, leading to billions of euros in losses.
Carlos Mazon, the conservative president of the Valencia region, addressed the regional parliament for nearly two hours, acknowledging the errors made before and after the disaster. “I’m not going to deny mistakes,” Mazon stated, while expressing regret for the delayed response and inadequate aid that left residents in affected areas without food and water for days.
“I apologise to those who felt the aid did not arrive or was not enough,” he added. However, he resisted the growing pressure to resign, even as protesters gathered outside, chanting slogans and calling him a liar.
While the Socialist central government has prioritised urgent relief and recovery efforts, it shifted its stance on Friday, calling for Mazon to be replaced by his conservative Popular Party to focus on recovery and to call for early elections next year.
Mazon responded by pledging to lead the recovery efforts with full determination and warned he would not seek re-election in 2027 if he failed to meet expectations.
Regional governments in Spain are typically responsible for disaster management, but the central government can intervene in extreme cases. Critics have questioned the efficiency of the Valencia region’s flood alert system, which, in some areas, failed to notify residents until floodwaters were already overwhelming their towns.
Mazon defended his administration, stating that others were hiding behind the technicalities of laws and power division. He also rejected accusations about his absence during critical hours of the disaster, later admitting he had been meeting with a journalist to discuss a potential job offer for regional television.
