Valencian president Juanfran Pérez Llorca has announced that his government will refer €13 million in pandemic-era hospital contracts, awarded under the previous administration led by Ximo Puig, to the Fiscalía, Spain’s public prosecutor’s office. The decision, disclosed during a tense session in Les Corts, sharply escalates the political conflict between the current regional government and opposition parties PSPV and Compromís.
Pérez Llorca’s move follows sustained opposition criticism, with parties accusing his administration of weakness and inaction, particularly after the deadly DANA, a Spanish term for a high-altitude isolated depression that can bring intense rainfall, struck Valencia province in October 2024. RTVE has reported 230 deaths in the Valencian Community. In October 2026 coverage of victims’ associations’ assessments and commemorations, EFE cited 233 deaths in the province. The disaster remains under criminal investigation in Catarroja, where judicial proceedings have examined public authorities’ conduct during the emergency.
Opposition deputies pressed the president over internal messages exchanged by members of Carlos Mazón’s Consell on the day of the disaster, including instructions to “flood the media with data” to project a sense of alertness. Vice president Susana Camarero submitted the messages to a court in Catarroja, fueling accusations of poor crisis management and a lack of accountability. Victims’ associations have said the catastrophe showed that authorities had not done everything possible. They also stressed that officials must not minimize risks.
In response, Pérez Llorca shifted the focus to what he described as “socialist corruption,” citing national scandals involving figures such as Pedro Sánchez and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. He cited an El Español report stating that a company awarded €13 million in pandemic contracts later partnered with another firm linked to a Venezuelan businessman. Pérez Llorca said the opposition should show “less arrogance and more humility,” pointing to ongoing legal proceedings involving former socialist officials.
Socialist spokesperson José Muñoz criticized Pérez Llorca for retaining and rewarding basic figures from the previous crisis response team, including Mazón and Camarero, as well as José Antonio Rovira and Vicente Martínez Mus. Muñoz demanded resignations and fresh elections, calling Pérez Llorca a “weak president” reliant on Vox support. Compromís leader Joan Baldoví also condemned the government’s handling of the DANA. He questioned salary increases for officials and cited instances in which senior figures were absent or disengaged during the emergency.
Pérez Llorca countered by accusing Compromís of prioritizing national political alliances and criticizing its record on public-sector pay. He rejected calls for dismissals, defended his administration’s approach and contrasted it with the opposition’s tenure. Protests outside the regional parliament marked the session, with taxi drivers and teachers among those voicing their discontent, alongside representatives of social service centers and victims’ associations. Inside, opposition deputies displayed banners denouncing what they described as the partisan use of Les Corts by PP and Vox.
At the start of the session, Compromís deputy Isaura Navarro asked for the DANA report to be withdrawn from the day’s agenda, citing the newly revealed internal messages. The chamber rejected the proposal, with PP and Vox voting against it. The controversy over the disaster response and the handling of pandemic contracts has intensified scrutiny of current and former regional leaders, reflecting wider tensions in Valencian and national politics.
The Generalitat Valenciana is the regional government of the Valencian Community, responsible for public administration and health, as well as emergency response. The disaster’s continuing political and judicial impact has also shaped debate over preparations for later severe-weather emergencies. During the subsequent DANA Adam, RTVE reported more than 2,600 evacuations and about 1,000 rescues. Spain’s government delegate in Valencia, Pilar Bernabé, said lessons from 2024 had improved anticipation and warnings, along with coordination among emergency services. The region’s political field remains polarized, with coalition dynamics between PP and Vox shaping legislative outcomes and disputes with opposition parties.
