“Carlos, we are proud that you continue working and showing your face.” The words are from Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and the Carlos who makes him proud is Mazón, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana who was absent for hours on October 29, the day of the DANA that caused torrential rains, the overflowing of rivers and canals and, as a consequence, 223 deaths. Despite the contradictions of the ‘president’, the gaps in the management of the storms, the massive demonstrations that have called for his resignation, Feijóo has decided to start 2025 with an absolute closing of ranks with Mazón, who has to endorse his leadership at the head of the PPCV this same year.
The opposition leader has chosen the Valencian Community to make his first trip of 2025, as both he and his communication team have been responsible for highlighting. A two-day tour of the province affected by DANA on October 29 with two very different days. The first, secretly and alone, to know “first-hand” the status of the “reconstruction” of the extensive material damage caused by the floods.
That day Feijóo did not allow himself to be recorded by journalists and preferred not to be seen with Mazón. Despite the applause that the leader of the Valencian PP receives from his deputies or organic positions, the streets of the Valencian capital have been filled on up to three occasions to protest the management of the DANA, in particular for the hours that Mazón was in a luxurious restaurant, supposedly eating with a journalist who, according to the Generalitat’s account, had been offered to direct regional public television at that lunch.
It is not the only version that Mazón has given about where he was during the key hours of October 29. The Valencian president has refused to provide the meal ticket, which he is obliged to do by the transparency law as head of the Executive. His response was to say that he paid that bill as president of the Valencian PP, and that it was his organization that paid it. For now Feijóo has accepted the explanation as good and has said he has no intention of demanding the ticket.
It is not the only gap in the management that the Generalitat made of the October DANA. While other institutions and public organizations, from the Provincial Council to the University, through municipalities in the province, activated their protocols, closed facilities, suspended classes and events or sent their workers home due to weather alerts, Mazón considered all these forecasts exaggerated. .
It was not until eight in the afternoon, with half the province flooded and many people already missing, when a massive alert was sent to cell phones. It came to many victims when they were already trying to save their lives.
Mazón copies Feijóo’s strategy
This week was Feijóo’s third visit to Valencia since October 29. The first was right after the tragedy, on Thursday the 31st. Together with Mazón, the leader of the PP asked the central government to declare a national alert and thus take control from the Generalitat.
That day, Feijóo not only disavowed his baron. He also launched the strategy of placing all responsibility for what happened on the central government. His obvious objective from day one was to make DANA and its consequences another element of opposition to Pedro Sánchez. Feijóo already pointed directly to the Aemet or the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation, as he had previously undermined the credibility of other agencies, companies or state institutions, such as the INE or the Post Office.
That October 31, Mazón distanced himself from Feijóo and valued the “collaboration” of the central government together with Pedro Sánchez, who also visited the province. It was the last time he did it. Since then, the Valencian president has not deviated one bit from the strategy set by Genoa.
Feijóo was seen on Thursday with Mazón, although protected and accompanied by the Valencian PP officials. One more act without questions from journalists in which both certified their unity of action. Despite the internal voices that, in private and ‘sottovoce’, say that Mazón is “burned out” or should resign, the reality is that the passing of the weeks and the new year do not point in that direction, unless in the short term. .
The leader of the PP dedicated his speech to attacking Sánchez’s Government while defending his baron’s management in the first person. “In difficult moments, people’s responsibility is measured. “I recognize the unity and strength with which you work, starting with Mazón,” Feijóo told his people.
Feijóo did not end there. “Carlos has stood up and made a brave decision by joining forces with reconstruction,” he said, referring to the president’s announcement that he had no intention of resigning during the entire legislature. “I prefer politicians who are accountable for their management than those who make resistance their way of life,” he added.
“Carlos, we are proud that you continue working and showing your face,” said Feijóo, who accused Sánchez of “taking advantage of a catastrophe to create opposition using the Valencian people as hostages.” “There they, History and the citizens will judge him, and they will surely punish him for the irresponsibility and lack of humanity that has affected more than 800,000 people,” he said.
Next July, the PP of the Valencian Community plans to hold an ordinary congress to renew its leadership. A conclave to which Mazón has not given up appearing. It remains to be seen if, despite these hallway conversations in which some say he should resign, Feijóo’s leadership takes the step of launching a new figure to replace him, which would make it almost impossible for him to run for re-election in the elections. elections that should be held in 2027.
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