A damning article published by the Financial Times has sharply criticised Carlos Mazón, president of the Generalitat Valenciana, for his delayed response during the deadly DANA flooding on October 29. The prestigious British newspaper highlighted the multiple errors in Mazón’s handling of the crisis, which saw some of the region’s towns and cities submerged while government action lagged behind.
The Financial Times article titled, “The Long Lunch Behind Spain’s Flood Alert Failure,” pointed out that Mazón spent crucial hours lunching with journalist Maribel Vilaplana to discuss her potential role at the regional television channel À Punt, a meeting that continued until 5.30 pm—three hours past the originally scheduled emergency meeting at the Integrated Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPI). As torrential rains battered Valencia, Mazón arrived late to the scene, well after other officials were already scrambling to cope.
Public outrage and mass protests
Public anger has been palpable. On Saturday, nearly 130,000 people marched in Valencia under the banner “Mazón Resign”, a protest organised by roughly 40 social, civic, and union groups. The British newspaper described how “official errors can cripple systems during unpredictable catastrophes,” referencing the inexplicably delayed response. The report noted that the Generalitat did not issue alerts until 13 hours after Spain’s Meteorological Agency (AEMET) had warned of severe rain, prompting scorn from many Valencian residents.
Contradictions and shifting blame
The critique also contradicted the Partido Popular’s (PP) narrative that AEMET did not fulfil its duties. Instead, the newspaper quoted emergency services director Jesús Lluch Ferrer, who underlined the role of public authorities in taking action: “Technicians can inform and warn, but they do not have executive power to tell people to stay home or for businesses to close.” The delay in Mazón’s arrival at the crisis centre is now seen as a significant failure of leadership that contributed to widespread damage and public frustration.
Broader implications for climate crisis management
Further reflecting on the crisis, the Financial Times highlighted how this response typifies issues seen across Mediterranean countries dealing with increasingly unpredictable climate threats. It quoted Vicky Palma, head meteorologist for Radio Televisión Canaria, who said: “Evaluating vulnerability often falls to officials rotating between departments with insufficient expertise.” Calls for the recruitment of trained experts into civil protection roles have intensified, in a bid to prevent such delays and inefficiencies from recurring.
Political fallout
The fallout has fuelled political tensions between PP and PSOE, with each side blaming the other for systemic failures. As the climate crisis amplifies extreme weather patterns, the Valencia debacle may serve as a stark warning for other Mediterranean administrations: a failure to act quickly and decisively is a failure to protect citizen
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