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12h ago

European People's Party Congress in Valencia Faces DANA Flood Protests and Leadership Shifts

As the congress begins on the six-month anniversary of the floods, tensions rise over accountability concerns and political maneuvering.

Mazón, Sánchez y Bernabé, en el centro, con el resto de autoridades y altos funcionarios.
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Overview

  • The XXVIII European People's Party (PPE) Congress begins in Valencia on April 29, coinciding with the six-month anniversary of the devastating DANA floods that killed 227–228 people.
  • Carlos Mazón, president of the Generalitat Valenciana, and Valencia’s mayor will deliver brief welcome speeches, while protests by flood victims are expected to highlight dissatisfaction with the disaster response.
  • Ursula von der Leyen will attend the congress but has deferred meeting with DANA victims to May 13 in Brussels, sparking criticism from advocacy groups.
  • Dolors Montserrat is set to be confirmed as the new secretary general of the PPE, marking a leadership reshuffle that diminishes Esteban González Pons’s influence.
  • The Spanish PP abandoned a March attempt to relocate the congress to Madrid due to high cancellation costs, keeping the event in Valencia despite political and logistical challenges.