The state’s new president, Juanfran Pérez Jurca, promised his new position on Tuesday at the opening plenary session at Les Cortes Valenciennes. He devoted his first speech to “apologizing” to the relatives of the 229 victims of Aldana, as he did in his inauguration speech last Thursday because, neither on October 29 of last year nor in the days following the floods, “public administrations did not live up to what society deserves,” as he put it.
He continued: “These words that I just said go beyond institutional formalism. They are born from personal conviction and must be the beginning of a dialogue and understanding that we must have and we must know how to maintain it.”
“Dialogue” was a recurring word in his short parliamentary term, which lasted just over 10 minutes, as he influenced the opening of a new phase in the general mandate, after Carlos Mazón was replaced at its head. The new president of the Council declared that “a new phase is opening” that must “restore the self-respect of the people of Valencia.”
The former president of the state, Carlos Mazzone, occupied seat number 97, in the last row (fifth) of the PP seats in Les Cortes, after his resignation on 3 November, prompted by his highly controversial management of Aldana and the public rejection of his relatives at the state funeral on 29 October. As of Tuesday, Pérez Jurca holds his old seat and remains a regional deputy, so he retains his position and can only be charged by the Valencian Community’s Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).
At his inauguration, Pérez Jurca received support from his parents, two daughters and his partner (who is divorced), as well as other relatives and neighbors of the city of Finestrat in Alicante, of which he was mayor until last Friday. At the political and institutional level, Pérez Jurca was supported by the Secretary General of the National People’s Party, Miguel Tellado, and the Deputy Spokesman of the Parliamentary Group of the People’s Party in the House of Representatives, Macarena Montesinos, among many positions of popular Valencians. The government was represented by its delegate to the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabe.