Valencia Leader Steps Down Amid Flood Crisis Controversy

Carlos Mazon resigns as the leader of Spain's Valencia region owing to criticism over his administration's handling of devastating floods last year. The floods caused 229 deaths and significant damage, sparking calls for his resignation. Mazon condemns the national government's crisis response.

Carlos Mazon, the prominent figure in Spain's eastern Valencia, announced on Monday his resignation due to widespread criticism over his administration's mishandling of severe floods a year prior.

The floods, which occurred on October 29, 2024, left 229 dead and inflicted billions of euros in damages, primarily hitting suburbs south of Valencia, Spain's third-largest city. Mazon, who has been under mounting pressure to resign from victims' families and the public, declared his decision in a press conference where he also criticized the national government's response to the disaster, stating, "I can't go on anymore."

In his announcement, Mazon did not specify whether he would call an early election or mention his intentions regarding his legislative seat, which provides parliamentary immunity. Meanwhile, Maribel Vilaplana, a journalist who had met with Mazon on the day of the floods, was slated to testify in a judicial inquiry into the authorities' potential criminal accountability for the flood's fatalities.

(With inputs from agencies.)