Carlos Mazón Finally Throws in the Towel

Last week, the presidents of the three provinces in the Valencian Region (Alicante, Valencia and Castellón), all from the PP, had announced that Carlos Mazón must be relegated in the next regional election - preferably in favour of one of the three. The next elections there are nominally to be held in 2027. However, things were still getting worse for Mazón, beset on all sides by the people of Valencia and the families of the 229 lost in the floods due, in part, to Mazón’s leisurely absence during the calamity. Following the memorial on October 29th to the people lost in the Dana, the Vox leader Santiago Abascal came out in support of Mazón (the longer Mazón stays, the more PP voters are crossing to the Vox standard). 

But it wasn’t to be. On Monday this week, without apologies to the families and blaming Madrid (hey, he’s a politician), Carlos Mazón resigned (keeping his place until a substitute, to be agreed by the Valencian PP and Vox (the PP lacks a full majority there). Right now, he is having a medical leave. Journalist Maribel Vilaplan, his dining companion at the Restaurante el Ventorro last year, has now explained to the Court that Mazón received any number of calls during the almost four-hour lunch, but ignored them all.

Feijóo considers Mazón's decision "correct" and asks Vox to "rise to the occasion" and "facilitate the election of a new president as soon as possible" says El Mundo here. On receiving the news ERC spokesman Gabriel Rufián described Mazón as "cowardly, deceitful and perverse". To belabour the point, Mazón remains as president until a new one can be chosen. He also continues as aforado, that’s to say, immune from any inquiry.   

The agony could continue until the end of January before a new president is agreed (Vox is in no hurry) – failing which, there would be fresh elections.