Carlos Mazón, the President of the Generalitat, has denied accusations that he was unreachable during the floods that devastated southern Valencia on the twenty-ninth of October. In a recent informative breakfast in Madrid, he stated that he received or made up to sixteen calls between five thirty-five PM and eight PM that day. Mazón affirmed he felt like ‘collateral damage’ from the flooding and dismissed the narrative that he was out of contact.

He highlighted his communications with various officials, including several calls with Salomé Pradas, the former councillor, and Vicent Mompó, the President of the Diputació de València. Mazón maintained that there was an ongoing dialogue about the situation and claimed that the only official communication he received from the Confederación Hidrográfica was a solitary email, leading to confusion about the severity of the floods.

Mazón also expressed frustration with the central government’s response, suggesting their focus was more on political manoeuvring than on supporting Valencia’s recovery efforts. He pointed out that the Generalitat did not declare a state of emergency as it would transfer control to the national government, which he believed would not change the availability of resources.

Regarding his future in the role, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, stated that the citizens will judge Mazón’s management of the reconstruction efforts. He stressed that the decision about Mazón’s continuation would be made based on public sentiment after the election cycle.