The councilor for Major Projects of the Valencia City Council, José Marí Olano, allegedly favored the placement of several workers in municipal companies. This is suggested by some audio recordings advanced by Eldiario.es which record conversations between Olano and employees of the public company Consorcio Valencia 2007. In the recordings, it can be heard how the politician allegedly facilitated information about future job openings that would have served the employees to be rehired once the company they worked for ceased to exist. The recordings belong to the case opened by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office for alleged crimes of prevarication and influence peddling, in which the mayor of Valencia and high-ranking PP official, María José Catalá, and the president of the Port Authority, Mar Chao, among other public officials, are being investigated.

Obtaining a service commission is a very common procedure in public administration that allows a public worker to change the organization in which they perform their duties. The controversy arises when there is doubt as to whether the employee has benefited from any preferential treatment to obtain it. This is the debate that has monopolized Valencian politics this week following the transfer of Vanesa Soler, the partner of the head of the Consell, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, who has moved from the Finestrat City Council to the Valencia Provincial Council. The change has allowed her to establish her residence in the city of Valencia where her sentimental partner also lives.

The scandal surrounding the allocation of subsidized housing in Alicante continues to grow. Adding to the controversy over a real estate development that has benefited up to five members of the People's Party (PP), several city council employees, and officials from the Valencian regional government (Generalitat), is the fact that more than a dozen families with multiple members who have been granted apartments reside in the building. Among them are even three siblings and two cousins ​​between the ages of 18 and 24, a particularly striking detail given that the initial steps for the project date back to 2018, which would have required them to register at 14 or 15 years old. The latest information comes from a report prepared by the Alicante Local Police at the request of the court investigating the case. The document reveals that up to 46 of the 140 apartments in the building known as Les Naus have no registered residents, and that many others have one registered resident but "more people" living there. The report also notes that 12 non-allocated individuals reside in six apartments. Furthermore, it points out that 26 mailboxes appear neglected, with a significant amount of uncollected advertising, suggesting that the apartments are vacant. All of this data indicates potential violations because the regulations for allocating apartments require the inclusion of documentation for all cohabitants, stipulate that the allocated apartment must be used as the primary residence, and state that the annual income of the family unit must not exceed €54,600, according to the new limit set by the PP (previously €48,000).

One apartment for the Councilor for Urban Planning, Rocío Gómez; others for both children and the nephew of the Director General of Internal Organization, Public Procurement, and Fund Management, María Pérez-Hickman; two more for the municipal architect, Francisco Nieto, and the wife of the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Tourism, Miguel Ángel Sánchez; and finally, one for the wife of the technician from the Ministry of Housing who validated the applications. This is the provisional tally of the controversial allocation of subsidized public housing among several officials of the Alicante City Council and the Valencian Regional Government.

The Alicante City Council will cross-reference the data of those awarded public housing with that of the current staff of civil servants to determine if any other employees are linked to the allocation of subsidized housing to various municipal officials. This was announced on Tuesday by the Councilor for Contracting and Human Resources and leader of the People's Party, Manuel Villar, who stated that he does not intend to carry out a "witch hunt," but wants to clarify if there are other city officials and officials who were awarded housing or who had "connection to the procedure." He also detailed that an extraordinary plenary session dedicated to the controversy will be held this Thursday, as requested by the opposition groups. The scandal has already resulted in the resignation of the Councilor for Urban Planning, Rocío Gómez – who was one of the recipients – and the municipal Director General of Internal Organization, Public Procurement and Funds Management, María Pérez-Hickman, along with her two sons and a nephew. Furthermore, the actions of a technician from the Housing Department, already under investigation, are being examined. This technician approved a housing unit for his wife, a municipal employee, and for the municipal architect, Francisco Nieto, who also benefited from the program.

Controversy has erupted in Alicante City Hall over the allocation of public housing to several municipal officials. The Councilor for Urban Planning, Rocío Gómez, and the Director General of Internal Organization, Public Procurement, and Funds Management, María Pérez-Hickman, have resigned due to their alleged involvement in irregularities in the allocation of public housing in an area of ​​Sant Joan beach. Pérez-Hickman's departure comes a day after the mayor, Luis Barcala, a leader of the People's Party (PP), ordered an investigation to determine if any irregularities occurred, given that the Councilor for Urban Planning, the municipal architect Francisco Nieto, and two of Pérez-Hickman's children were involved. Barcala has promised to "go all the way" and to report "the slightest suspicion" of illegal activity to the Public Prosecutor's Office. Regarding Gómez, who resigned this Friday afternoon, the mayor stated that the councilwoman acquired the status of beneficiary of one of the public housing units under investigation "five years before" entering politics. He added that the building permit for the property was granted in 2022, also a year before she joined the city council as a councilwoman. "To the best of our knowledge, [Rocío Gómez] has not intervened in any decision whatsoever related to this social housing case," the Popular Party leader added. Luis Barcala stated that he hopes the internal investigation will clarify the situation of his colleague on the governing team. Once he has all the information, he pledged to share it with the opposition and "to take action at the slightest indication of wrongdoing." "Under no circumstances can we allow even the slightest suspicion to exist in such a sensitive issue as housing, especially given the alarm generated by the lack and need for housing," he concluded.

The president of the Valencian Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, stated that parliamentary seats "are neither granted nor withdrawn by any politician," but rather belong to "popular sovereignty," and defended Carlos Mazón's actions, asserting that he had already "assumed his political responsibility" by resigning as head of the Consell. He made these remarks to the media on Thursday after attending a tribute in Valencia to the professor and politician Manuel Broseta, commemorating the 34th anniversary of his assassination by ETA. Llorca reiterated that with his resignation, Mazón had already "assumed his political responsibility." "He acknowledged his mistakes and assumed the full responsibility he had," he summarized when asked if the PP would take advantage of the parliamentary recess in Les Corts. The parliament will not reconvene until February 9th to formally request the resignation of its predecessor. The Valencian president reiterated that "membership in parliament is neither given nor taken away by a politician; it is granted and withdrawn by popular sovereignty, that is, by the voters when they vote," and emphasized that "the Valencian people already carried out this exercise in the last regional elections." In his statements, the head of the Valencian government avoided clarifying whether Mazón will continue as a member of parliament until the end of the legislature if he so wishes, or whether, on the contrary, the People's Party (PP) will demand his resignation, as the victims' associations of the disaster are demanding as a prerequisite for a meeting with Llorca.

If Alberto Núñez Feijóo hoped that the Valencian federation would stop causing him headaches after the tumultuous replacement of Carlos Mazón, former president Francisco Camps has dashed those hopes. The former head of the Valencian government wants to lead the party again and be its electoral figurehead, and he has seen the perfect opportunity: the recent appointment of Juanfran Pérez Llorca as president of the GeneralitatHe believes the politician from Finestrat is a weak leader, lacking both the legitimacy of the ballot box and the support of the party's members. That's why he's demanding that the rank and file be given a voice at a party congress. His potential rivals—Lorca himself and the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, who are the frontrunners—remain silent and loyal to the party headquarters in Madrid. At the party headquarters on Génova Street, they're asking for time. First, they want to consolidate Llorca's leadership, then assess whether he can stop the flow of votes to Vox, and if not, promote Catalá as his replacement or evaluate whether there's a better candidate among their list of mayors. The person most afraid of Feijóo's influence is Camps. He believes his chances lie in stirring up debate and giving the grassroots a voice. He's even calling for a congress "on the American model," allowing supporters to vote, as well as members who have stopped paying their dues. He justifies this deference by saying they have been "very neglected" in recent months. He said so last week at the presentation of his campaign team, which does not include any prominent leaders. In fact, the most relevant figure is Inés Peiró, a councilwoman from the municipality of La Pobla de Vallbona. A person with no influence within the party. "Our party is now an inverted pyramid with few members and many positions," the former president complained.

Former Valencian president Francisco Camps took another step in the internal power struggle within the People's Party (PP) on Thursday, announcing his candidacy for the presidency of the Valencian Generalitat, complete with a proposed government program. In statements to the media, he clearly stated his intention not only to run in the regional congress for the presidency of the Valencian PP, but also to become president of the Generalitat, succeeding current president Juanfran Pérez Llorca. "Will they make it easy for me? No. Will they try to prevent this? Yes. But I will try," he asserted emphatically. This scenario directly clashes with the wishes of the national leadership under Alberto Núñez Feijóo—who has consistently supported the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá—as well as with Pérez Llorca himself—and his potential desire to remain in office—and the president of the Valencia Provincial Council, Vicent Mompó—who has been championed by the provincial leaders of the Valencian PP. "Today, after the entire process has concluded, I say it openly and without hesitation: I want a president elected by the party members, by the voters, and by an absolute majority of the PP's members of parliament. That is my objective," he stated, speaking of himself.

The new president of the Valencian Generalitat, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, has shaken up the Valencian government, but has respected the foundations laid by Carlos Mazón, whose right-hand man he was in the Valencian Parliament (Les Corts) and the People's Party (PP). The result is a more profound reshuffle than it initially appears, but in which eight ministers remain and three new ones join. One of those who has kept their position is the first vice president, Susana Camarero, who gains the responsibilities for Housing and Employment, retains those for Youth and Equality, and relinquishes those for Social Services, as well as the role of spokesperson. Conversely, one of those affected by the reshuffle is Mazón's personal friend and former Minister of Education, Culture, Universities, and Employment, José Antonio Rovira, who leaves this key portfolio and will assume the Ministry of Economy, Finance, and Public Administration, previously held by the independent and former Ciudadanos leader, Ruth Merino. The new Minister of Education, Culture, and Universities will be María del Carmen Ortí Ferre. She is a career civil servant in the Generalitat's Education Inspection Corps, holds a diploma in Educational Sciences from the University of Valencia, and a degree in Psychopedagogy from the Open University of Catalonia. She currently heads the Popular University of the Valencia City Council. Previously, she served as Deputy Director General of Educational Planning and Private and Subsidized Schools and as Director of the Teacher Training Center in Torrent.

Complete agreement. The People's Party (PP) and Vox have invested Juanfran Pérez Llorca as president of the Valencian Generalitat in a plenary session where the conservative party adopted almost all of the far-right party's positions. The agreement was already foreshadowed in the morning when the leader of the far-right party, Santiago Abascal, indicated in a statement to the media that he liked the PP candidate's speech. "I want to read the speech carefully," he said, trying to downplay the Vox politician's involvement minutes before the party's executive committee leaked its vote in favor, emphasizing that the PP had incorporated "100%" of its demands. The new head of the Valencian government's speech began without the uncomfortable gaze of Carlos Mazón, who was only present for the vote and wished his successor "luck and success." "I come without any firm agreement with any party," Pérez Llorca asserted at the start of a session in which he delivered a speech full of concessions to Vox, as his partners have acknowledged. As expected, the Finestrat politician's speech included a reference to the families of the victims of the DANA storm: "If I am elected, my first words as president will be to apologize on behalf of the Generalitat," Pérez Llorca declared, under the watchful eyes of the association leaders in the chamber, minutes after having demonstrated outside the Valencian Parliament (Les Corts) against the investiture of the People's Party candidate.

A date has been set for the investiture session of the PP candidate, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, as president of the Valencian Generalitat. The governing board of the Valencian Parliament (Les Corts) has agreed that the session will take place on November 27 at 11:00 a.m. The announcement was made by Vox spokesperson José María Llanos, who also highlighted the "harmony" between the far-right party and the PP and their willingness to vote in favor of the candidate if the negotiations are successful, as everything indicates. "The harmony has increased because we're not going backwards and there are fewer days left," the far-right leader summarized. As usual, the Vox politician maintained his secrecy and, regarding whether a document certifying the agreement will be formalized, stated that the details of a negotiation are only revealed once it concludes. However, he did clarify that the far-right party will demand the agreement be finalized before the 27th. "If Vox supports the investiture, they will try to finalize the agreement before then. If we support the investiture, it will be because there is an agreement," he insisted. Fernando Pastor, the new PP spokesperson, was equally opaque, confirming the "positive outlook" of the talks and urging everyone "not to rush" and to proceed "step by step." "Yesterday we had a candidate, today we have a date. Step by step," he repeated. Regarding whether there would be any document outlining the agreement, he promised transparency on the day of the plenary session. "That day there will be full transparency and accountability to learn about Pérez Llorca's proposed government formula for the Valencian Community," he concluded.

The People's Party (PP) and Vox are finalizing the details to seal the agreement that should allow Juanfran Pérez Llorca to be invested as the new president of the Valencian Generalitat. This was explained to ARA by sources present at the negotiations, who detailed that both parties are working towards announcing the pact in the coming days and holding the investiture session next week. For the talks to be successful, some loose ends remain. These are the "final" approvals for many points already agreed upon. In this regard, it should be noted that, in the case of the PP, everything must be vetted by the national leadership of Alberto Núñez Feijóo. As for Vox, its executive committee is already participating directly in the negotiations through its secretary general, Ignacio Garriga, and his right-hand woman, Montserrat Lluis. According to sources from the far-right party, the "positive attitude" shown by the PP has been maintained throughout the talks, to the point that they "have accepted everything" they asked for.

Where he was between 7 p.m. – when he said goodbye to journalist Maribel Vilaplana – and 8 p.m. – when he left the Palau de la Generalitat for the Cecopio (the regional emergency response center) – whether he gave any instructions to former councilor Salomé Pradas in the various calls he had with her, and finally, with whom he exchanged messages. These are some of the main questions that the acting Valencian president, Carlos Mazón, will have the opportunity to finally clarify this Monday in his appearance before the Congress of Deputies' commission investigating the DANA (isolated high-level depression). The PP politician's testimony comes after his frustrating appearance a few days ago before the Valencian Parliament's equivalent commission, when Mazón dodged almost all the questions raised by the opposition and even read a short speech, a circumstance that led the Balearic deputy to call him a "scam." There is hope that the question-and-answer format, which the congressional committee, unlike the Valencian Parliament, does plan to use, will force the conservative leader to explain his actions. In fact, this will be the first time Mazón has faced questioning, beyond the interviews he has given to friendly media outlets.

An internal power struggle has erupted within the People's Party (PP) over the selection of Carlos Mazón's successor, just hours before the acting Valencian president is due to appear before the parliamentary commission investigating the devastating floods. The conservatives' spokesperson in the Valencian Parliament, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, asserted on Monday that "no one" has proposed him for the position of head of the Valencian government and that the decision rests with the party's national leadership. These were his first public statements since the incident a week ago. Mazón will announce his resignationWith these words, the politician from Finestrat has dramatized the tension within the party. He also indicated that the ball is now in the court of the executive committee, which, at this moment, has not made any decision. "We want to set the pace," sources from the party leadership on Génova Street in Madrid told ARA, admitting that the name "has not been decided." A sign of the uncertainty within the PP is that its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, chose not to dedicate a single word to the Valencian crisis this Monday. At an event in Melilla, where he convened his leadership, he limited himself to praising the early elections in Extremadura and reiterated a litany of criticisms of the Spanish government. "There are no updates. When we know in the coming hours or days, we will announce it," sources from Génova repeated regarding the candidate Feijóo will have to choose. According to sources, Mazón's replacement will be chosen by the national leadership, "just like a candidate in any eventual regional elections." They add, however, that the selection will be made "in coordination" with the Valencian PP. "The candidate is one thing, and the negotiations are another," the same sources emphasize, while avoiding giving details of last Friday's meeting between Vox and Mazón's PP. Once the candidate is chosen, the Valencian PP will take the lead in the talks, with "oversight" from the national headquarters in Madrid, which maintains that it "will not write" the agreement. The talks to appoint the successor to the head of the Valencian government have been stalled for days due to the power struggle between the Valencian and national leadership. After the tumultuous funeral of the victims of the DANA storm and the Mazón's decision to foldThe leadership of the Valencian Popular Party (PP) promoted Juanfran Pérez Llorca as an interim replacement and the president of the Valencia Provincial Council, Vicent Mompó, for the 2027 election. This move was intended to prevent the national leadership from imposing the name of the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá. The regional PP's maneuver greatly angered the PP leadership in Madrid, which has since decided to control the entire renewal process. The fracture within the Valencian PP also explains the resistance from the national headquarters in Madrid (Génova) to calling elections, given that the election of a new leader would trigger a power struggle within the party. Former Valencian president Francisco Camps would also be a contender in this race. On Monday, in a television interview, he stated that, in his opinion, if citizens were called to the polls, the PP should first hold primary elections.

The countdown began this Tuesday. The People's Party (PP) and Vox have until November 19th to agree on a candidate to replace Carlos Mazón as head of the Valencian Generalitat. If they reach an agreement, the Speaker of the Valencian Parliament (Les Corts) will set the date for the investiture session, which would be held between November 24th and 27th. If no agreement is reached within two months of the first vote, Parliament will be dissolved and elections will be called. The most likely date for the elections is March 22nd, but the PP does not want to go to the polls. Although the latest polls They grant the majority to the right-wing blog, and also depict a transfer of votes from the People's Party to Vox. Furthermore, a mobilized left could overturn the predictions. That is why Feijóo's party will strive to convince Santiago Abascal's party, which, despite not ruling out a pact, has already warned that its price will be very high.

The ex-husband of the provincial deputy of the Popular Party and mayor of Almassora, Maria Tormo, was found dead early Sunday morning inside a container in a central area of Castellón de la Plana, according to the newspaper LevantThe victim, Vicente Domínguez, 45, was a computer scientist and the father of a daughter with the Conservative leader.

Outside the Valencian Parliament, a protest was called by associations of families of victims and those affected by the DANA (National Hurricane) to demand the resignation of Carlos Mazón. Inside the chamber, a speaker who has ignored any self-criticism regarding the handling of the day of the cold snap, who has boasted about the measures adopted after the catastrophe, accused the Spanish government of abandoning the Valencian Community, and raised the flag of anti-Catalanism. This is the summary of the general policy debate held this Tuesday in Les Corts, which marks the starting gun for a crucial month to determine whether the head of the Consell has managed to defuse public outrage or, on the contrary, should continue to be confined to institutional events.

The president of the Valencian regional government, Carlos Mazón, is increasingly comfortable in his role as leader of the post-DANA reconstruction. He smiles and has put aside the dejected appearance he displayed for weeks after the catastrophe, even in response to repeated questions from journalists about whether he will be re-elected as the Valencian People's Party's candidate for the Generalitat.

If there are two people who grimaced on Wednesday when Francisco Camps confirmed his intention to contest the leadership of the Valencian PP were Carlos Mazón and Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The former, because the former president's candidacy questions the figure of the Alicante politician and further complicates his already complex continuity. The second, because he fears that the crisis in the Valencian federation will jeopardize his chances of reaching the Moncloa, as happened two years ago.