Carlos Mazón refuses to answer questions in Spanish Congress inquiry into 2024 DANA floods

Silence before congressional commission

Former Valencian regional president Carlos Mazón appeared before the Spanish Congress inquiry commission on 21 September 2026 to address the management of the 2024 DANA flood disaster. Mazón refused to answer questions from members of parliament, stating he would make no public declarations while court proceedings remain open. The appearance marked his second testimony before the lower house following an initial session on 17 November 2025. He argued that the legal context shifted after regional judges cleared him of criminal liability in the disaster. Mazón maintained that parliamentary committees cannot replace judicial determinations regarding personal conduct. He also noted that legal actions initiated by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party resulted in judicial reviews that favoured his legal position.

The only power that can judge my criminal responsibility are the courts, and they have already pronounced on it.

Confrontations across the political aisle

Opposition lawmakers challenged Mazón over his conduct during the floods of 29 October 2024, which killed 232 people across the region. ERC deputy Gabriel Rufián criticized the former regional leader and characterized him as an involuntary manslaughterer during a contentious exchange that prompted intervention from the committee chair. Compromís representative Àgueda Micó stated that Mazón misled parliament in earlier statements regarding his knowledge of casualties. Lawmakers questioned Mazón about withheld mobile messages and his five-hour presence in a private dining room during emergency meetings. Mazón rejected the accusations as logically contradictory, arguing that one cannot give orders while being completely absent. He further asserted that he did not possess the statutory authority to declare a regional emergency.

Judicial rulings and defense arguments

Mazón based his decision to remain silent on recent court developments across the Valencian judicial system. On 1 September 2026, his legal team submitted a brief to the Catarroja investigating magistrate asserting that he held no duty of care regarding civil protection measures. The brief stated that no evidence linked the former president to the drafting or dispatch of the ES-Alert mobile warning sent to citizens. The High Court of Justice of the Valencian Community, through a unanimous decision of five judges, previously declined to open criminal proceedings against him. Investigating judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra subsequently summoned Mazón solely as a witness in the case. The Provincial Court of Valencia later approved his request to appear as a formal party, granting his defense access to the complete case record.

Responses from victims and regional allies

Outside the parliamentary building in Madrid, the DANA Victims' Association voiced frustration with the hearing. Association president Rosa Álvarez told reporters that affected families expected no useful answers and demanded a verified, credible chronology of events. Álvarez criticized Mazón for continuing to occupy his seat in the regional legislature while presiding over inactive parliamentary committees. In Valencia, Popular Party spokesperson Nando Pastor defended the regional administration and described the flood management review as a closed chapter. Pastor stated that regional officials took accountability through political resignations, whereas central government delegates such as Pilar Bernabé declined to appear before the regional inquiry in Les Corts.

Here people have appeared, here resignations have occurred, here political dismissals have occurred.