The vice-president of the Consell and councilor for Social Services, Equality and Housing, Susana Camarero, will be the new spokesperson for the Valencian Government, replacing the councilor for Finance, Economy and Public Administration, Ruth Merino, who held this position until ‘now. That of Camarero is the first change made by the President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, since the fateful DANA which devastated four Valencian regions and left more than 219 dead and 13 missing.
The assumption of responsibility for the spokesperson of the Executive by Camarero is not new in relation to the seriousness of the crisis that the Valencian Government is going through and this points to Mazón himself, who has not yet sufficiently explained his role in key hours of DANA. Vice President Camarero was already de facto acting as spokesperson for the Consell over the last ten days, after the hesitant beginnings of the crisis by Ruth Merino and the Minister of Justice, Salomé Pradas, completely overwhelmed by events.
Camarero gave a new twist to communication about the crisis and tried to establish a reconstruction strategy. Of course, she will not be the advisor in charge of the newly created macro-council which takes charge of disaster management starting this week. Other names are being considered for this portfolio, if possible from the business world and possibly independent.
Over the next few days, more details will be revealed on the changes made to the Consell, which will have a new structure adapted to the economic and social recovery plan of the Valencian Community after the consequences caused by the flood of October 29, as reported the Generalitat in a press release.
Last Friday, President Carlos Mazón announced, during his appearance at the Corts, that the new structure of the Consell will include a transversal vice-presidency that will coordinate the economic and social reconstruction actions of Valencia and an emergency and interior department focused on responding to crisis situations in an agile and coordinated manner and with preventive powers to protect and ensure the safety of Valencians.
It is not easy for Carlos Mazón to find profiles in the face of the government crisis that will allow him to regain the political initiative. For the moment, all attention is focused on him and the appearance before the Valencian courts has not reduced the pressure. It seems more than likely that Mazón will carry out several dismissals and the main one mentioned is that of the Minister of Justice, who has powers in case of emergency and whom the Presidency designates as responsible. Pradas was removed from communication, as was the Minister of Industry, Nuria Montes, for his unfortunate comments about the victims and his meeting with an employee of his department who lost her husband and daughter at DANA.
