The president of the Valencia provincial council insulted the Science Minister after criticism of his actions during the deadly October storm. The exchange has triggered calls for accountability and exposed deep political divisions.
Tensions in Spanish politics escalated after Vicent Mompó, president of the Diputación de Valencia, responded to criticism from Science Minister Diana Morant with a string of personal insults. The dispute followed accusations about his handling of the storm that hit Valencia on 29 October 2024, which left 232 people dead. Court documents cited by El Economista and Ara confirm the death toll was updated after another victim died in hospital on 6 November.
Mompó, a senior member of the Partido Popular in Valencia, posted publicly on X, calling Morant “the daughter of Zapatero, the lameculos of Sánchez” and saying she was “worthless.” Writing in Valencian, he accused Morant of chasing media attention instead of focusing on those affected by the disaster. He also claimed she only visited the region two days after the storm, arriving by helicopter with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The ongoing judicial investigation into the management of the DANA flooding remains active, with the judge in Catarroja considering a six-month extension to the proceedings.
The exchange began after Morant sharply criticized Mompó’s actions during the storm. She said that while the Diputación de Valencia warned its own staff and suspended activities because of the DANA (a severe weather event), Mompó failed to inform the wider public about these measures. According to Morant, he limited warnings to his inner circle, leaving most people unprepared. Several Spanish media outlets reported that only nine training courses were suspended and that the general public did not receive direct notification.
Morant referred to a news report stating that the provincial council had notified its political leadership and suspended nine training courses as the storm approached. She argued that Mompó, who was present at the emergency coordination center (CECOPI), knew the risks but did not extend the same warnings to all Valencians. Morant has continued to insist that earlier public alerts could have changed the outcome for many victims, a point that has kept the debate over the Es-Alert system in the spotlight, as reported by RTVE and València Diari.
Socialist Party officials quickly condemned Mompó’s remarks. Pilar Bernabé, the PSOE’s Equality Secretary and government delegate in the region, called the comments “barbaric” and questioned the boundaries of political debate. Rebeca Torró, the party’s Organization Secretary, demanded that national PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo publicly distance himself from Mompó and call for an immediate apology. According to Democrata, these demands reflect the increased scrutiny on public officials after the tragedy.
The official line from Morant remains firm: she directly links the delay in public warnings to the high number of fatalities, repeatedly stating that earlier alerts could have saved lives. This ongoing dispute over the Es-Alert system and the authorities' response continues to be both a political and legal flashpoint in Valencia.
RTVE
During the storm, the Diputación de Valencia followed its usual protocol with the workers’ committee: when the national weather agency Aemet issues a red alert for rain, staff are sent home and preventive measures are put in place. The main dispute is whether these warnings and actions were communicated beyond the institution’s own employees. The controversy has also raised questions about the effectiveness of emergency protocols and how openly information is shared during a crisis, as covered by several Spanish news outlets.
This episode has renewed debate over the responsibilities of public officials during emergencies and the tone of political debate in Spain. The scale of the tragedy—232 deaths—has intensified scrutiny of every decision and public statement. The fact that the confrontation played out so publicly, with both sides using social media, points to a decline in restraint in Spanish political life.
Spain has faced several extreme weather events in recent years, with DANA storms causing repeated flooding and loss of life, especially in Mediterranean regions. The Aemet red alert protocol is meant to reduce risk, but its success depends on timely and clear communication to the public. In this context, the clash between Mompó and Morant is about more than personal animosity; it raises questions about the credibility of institutions and public trust in crisis management. When political leaders turn to personal attacks instead of addressing failures, it undermines accountability and public confidence at a time when clear leadership is needed most.
