The president of Spain’s Valencia region has resigned from his post following sustained public anger over his administration’s handling of catastrophic flooding that claimed hundreds of lives last year.
The leader, who represented the conservative People’s Party, had faced mounting pressure to step down for months. The calls intensified after reports revealed that during the initial hours of the emergency, as floodwaters rose, he was engaged in a lengthy lunch meeting. This perception of a failure to prioritize the crisis fueled widespread protests across the region, with demonstrators demanding accountability.
In a statement delivered Monday, the outgoing president cited an inability to continue in his role. He used the opportunity to sharply criticize the national government’s actions during the disaster but did not provide details on the political transition, including whether a snap election would be called or who would assume leadership temporarily.
Public fury crystallized during a state memorial service held last week to mark the one-year anniversary of the floods. Attendees loudly heckled the president as he arrived, with shouts accusing him of criminal negligence.
A central point of controversy has been the timing of the official emergency alert. Records indicate the warning to mobile phones was not issued until the evening, by which time the majority of fatalities had already occurred. The president has stated he was monitoring the situation remotely during his lunch and later reported to the emergency coordination center. However, the significant gap between the end of that meeting and his arrival at the operational headquarters has raised further questions.
Judicial investigations into the events are ongoing. A presiding judge has characterized the disaster in stark terms and pointed to evidence of serious administrative failures. The judge’s preliminary findings suggest there were critical delays in activating emergency protocols and issuing public warnings, which may constitute gross negligence.
Further scrutiny has fallen on other senior officials within the regional government. The former interior minister, who was in charge of emergency response, has acknowledged having no prior experience in crisis management before her appointment just months before the floods. Additionally, it was reported that the region’s vice-president left a key emergency coordination meeting on the day of the disaster to attend a separate awards ceremony.
The resignation marks a significant political consequence of the tragedy, which remains a source of profound grief and unresolved legal questions for the Valencian community.