Spanish minister Diana Morant rejects insults from Valencia PP chief Vicent Mompó

Dispute over flood warnings

The confrontation between Spain's Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, and the President of the Diputació de València, Vicent Mompó, began following documentation submitted to the Catarroja court. The judicial body is investigating administrative actions taken during the DANA flood emergency. A report from the provincial human resources department confirmed that internal emails suspended activities and closed facilities starting at 14:00 on the day of the disaster. That alert list included provincial deputies, advisors, the vice president, and Mompó. On Thursday, 3 September 2026 at 15:00, Morant posted on X that Mompó implemented protective measures for his own staff while failing to warn the wider Valencian public.

Social media exchange and insults

Mompó, who leads the provincial branch of the People's Party (PP) in Valencia, answered on X on Friday, 4 September 2026 at 10:21. In his post, the provincial president attacked Morant's conduct following the floods, accusing her of caring more about television cameras than affected citizens. He referenced her arrival by helicopter alongside Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez two days after the disaster. Mompó concluded his post by calling Morant an ass-kisser of Pedro Sánchez, describing her as the daughter of former prime minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, and asserting that she was worth nothing.

Socialist leadership demands apologies

The remarks drew prompt condemnation across regional and national tiers of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE). The party's Organization Secretary, Rebeca Torró, demanded that national PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo disavow Mompó and require an immediate apology.

Enough insults and this stale machismo. When will we see a PP that does not insult or turn politics into a mud pit?

Other regional figures joined the condemnation, including Government Delegate in the Valencian Community Pilar Bernabé and PSPV-PSOE provincial secretary general Carlos Fernández Bielsa. The socialist spokesperson in the regional parliament (Les Corts), José Muñoz, also called for an immediate retraction.

I do not know whether it disgusts me more for being sexist or for the aggressiveness of the comment. We demand immediate apologies.

Ministerial response and judicial context

Morant, who serves as the secretary general of the PSPV and is the party's nominee for the regional presidency, responded to the attack in an interview on TVE on Friday evening. She stated that such rhetoric was not an isolated incident and identified the comments as political sexism.

If in response to political criticism in the PP, the only thing they have to contribute is insults and machismo, then we are on the right track.

The dispute coincides with judicial proceedings in Catarroja into the regional emergency response during the storm. PSPV representatives noted that Mompó had answered that he did not remember to questions from the investigating magistrate on 30 occasions during court testimony. The PSOE national leadership stated that personal insults by public officials should lead to institutional consequences.