Let Mazón not distract from the loot
Mazón is infuriating and a champion of disgrace, but what's at stake here is the reconstruction of the Valencian Community after the devastating floods, the so-called Endavant plan, initially endowed with 29 billion euros. It's no wonder it's been difficult to find a replacement for the Valencian presidency: Mazón's downfall wasn't in the script for the People's Party (after having managed to pass the budget with Vox's votes), and taking over the position he has sullied and subjected to intense public scrutiny is a delicate matter. In the division of a colossal spoils, the best position isn't always at the top, especially if that person knows beforehand that they'll be under pressure. When it comes to getting the short end of the stick, a more discreet second position, while still being close to those who make the decisions and distribute the funds, is often preferable. After many days of hesitation between Pérez Llorca and María José Catalá, in the end it was the former who took charge of the operation (against the opinion of Feijóo, which is becoming more and more blurred, and in accordance with the preferences of Vox).
Mazón couldn't care less about the presidency of the Valencian Generalitat, the 229 deaths caused by the DANA storm, or the pain and outrage of the citizens. He has no qualms about staging one disgraceful scene after another, making a fool of himself, or groveling before everyone again, as he did in his resignation/non-resignation speech (he's still president) or as he did again this Tuesday in his appearance before the committee. The shouts accusing him of being a murderer or calling him a bastard might bother him or put him in a bad mood for a moment, but deep down, they don't affect him at all. The same goes for the PP. Vox finds them amusing.
Mazón has two interests: to evade the judicial siege by the judge in Catarroja through parliamentary immunity, and to pocket his share of the fabulous pie from the Endavant plan, which he considers himself a co-author of along with his close friend Gan Pampols. He's not satisfied with crumbs (if I may paraphrase the great Ovid, whom Mazón, of course, knows nothing about), and he knows he can no longer aspire to the whole loaf, but Mazón doesn't want to leave without his fair share. It's not just a salary of 85,000 euros a year, an office, a driver, and advisors. That, if anything, is just the tip of the iceberg, something he already counted on. But Mazón has provided services, and he wants to be paid for them.
The PP also wants to collect (after seven years without governing Spain, a significant drop in off-the-books income has resulted in substantial losses). The business leaders who support the party and who kept Mazón afloat until he brought them down also want to collect. Vox, for its part, wants to demonstrate that it is now the decisive force on the Spanish right and that it has the PP in its grasp. And the temptation to trigger early elections in the Valencian Community, where Vox could achieve its first victory, will be strong for Abascal and his associates. overtaking in the PP.
