Opponents Demand Mazón's Resignation in Les Corts, and He Counters: "We've Accepted All Victims' Cases"
Flipping Channels to Politics:
The ol' telly's on, blaring the chaos in Valencia's legislative assembly, Les Corts Valencianes. Today's session started with the usual finger-pointing between the government led by Carlos "Mazo" Mazón and the opposition.
Joey, the union rep for the PSPV, took the floor, voicing testimonies from the flood victims: "Listen up, Mazo, I'm talking about real lives here, not your vice's text messages!" he yelled. "You're too out of touch to even say 'I'm sorry'. It's about time you stepped down and called for new elections!"
Mazo shot back, "We were the first ones to admit our mistakes in this mess, and we've stepped up politically by shuffling the Cabinet. We've met with every victim who's come knocking, public or private." He also took a jab at the socialists: "Choose between Pedro Sánchez and the Valencians. Why hasn't Madrid approved the state's budget or the autonomous liquidity fund?"
Emergency Whistleblower Exposes One-and-a-Half-Hour Delay in Flood Alert
Oh, and it seems an emergency tech spilled the beans—the flood alert wasn't sent a whole hour and a half after it should've been, adding fuel to the fire.
Joan, the rep from Compromís, posed a question to Mazo: "What's it gonna take for you to step down?" He lambasted Mazo for being absent for hours during the flood and flung insults at the victims. "Don’t tell me you don't feel a bit of shame? Why did the victims meet Ursula von der Leyen before they met you?"
Von der Leyen Pledges "Recovery Support" and Uses the Tragedy as a Learning Experience
Mazo reiterated his government's apologies and highlighted instances where the opposition could've made amends, too, like the victim of Monica Oltra's ex-husband's sexual abuse or those benefiting from the "yes, if, yes, only if" law which reduced sentences for some garages rapists. Mazo then accused the left of politicizing the flood victims in response to the barrage of accusations from PSPV and Compromís.
He tossed a curveball at them: "What about 'sister, I believe you' – except if you were raped by Monica Oltra's ex-husband?" Baldoví fired back, explaining that Oltra stepped down and went to court to testify, something Mazo failed to do.
So, Who's Carlos Mazón, Anyway?
Mazón's the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, the regional government of Valencia, Spain. He belongs to the People's Party (PP), which is part of the European People's Party (EPP).
He's been under fire for his handling of the flood catastrophe that occurred on October 29, 2024. The heat's on for his administration's slow response to warnings from Spain's meteorological agency and accusations of downplaying them. Plus, he was reportedly hard to reach during the Critical Hours™. Rumors of a cover-up haven't helped his cause, either. But no formal investigation's been launched due to his presidential status.
- The average response time to warnings from Spain's meteorological agency during war-and-conflicts, such as the flood catastrophe in Valencia, has been a topic of discussion in policy-and-legislation, with the public demanding better crisis management and prompt action.
- The Valencia flood victims' plight has often been discussed in general-news and crime-and-justice programs alongside other political issues, raising questions about the politicians' empathy and willingness to act in the interest of the general public.
- Amid the ongoing debate over war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and politics, the question of accountability in crime-and-justice matters, such as the Monica Oltra sexual abuse case and the "yes, if, yes, only if" law, has also been used as a tool in the political battles between the parties in Valencia's legislative assembly.
