A political dispute has erupted in Valencia's regional parliament following controversial remarks by Vicent Mascarell, the number two official in the Valencian PSOE party, regarding President Carlos Mazón's planned attendance at the 9 d'Octubre civic procession. The conflict began when Mascarell commented on social media that "difícilmente puede ser cívica una procesión con Mazón presente" (a procession can hardly be civic with Mazón present), adding that the president "desprecia a la ciudadanía, a las víctimas, ensucia el sentido del civismo con su sola presencia" (disdains citizens, victims, and sullies the meaning of civility with his mere presence).
The controversy intensified when María del Mar Galcerán, a PP deputy in the Valencian parliament who has Down syndrome, responded to Mascarell's post by stating "tiene la boca muy sucia, yo de usted me la limpiaría. Mucho cuidado con lo que dice" (your mouth is very dirty, if I were you I would clean it. Be very careful with what you say). Mascarell replied "y usted la mente" (and you the mind), a comment he later deleted from his social media accounts. Galcerán holds significance as Spain's first parliamentarian with Down syndrome.
During a parliamentary control session, President Mazón directly addressed the incident, questioning whether the socialist spokesperson José Muñoz supported Mascarell's behavior. Mazón warned that "la deriva que están tomando es muy peligrosa" (the direction they are taking is very dangerous), indicating the escalating political tensions between the governing PP and opposition PSOE in the region. The exchange highlights growing partisan divisions surrounding traditional Valencian celebrations.
The background to this conflict involves Mazón's confirmation of his participation in the 9 d'Octubre procession, an annual event marking Valencia's Community Day that traditionally includes the regional president's attendance. Mascarell's criticism came despite the PSOE having previously questioned Mazón's absence from other Valencian cultural events including the Fallas festival, Santa Faz, and Moros y Cristianos de Alcoi. The situation remains unresolved as both parties maintain their positions regarding the appropriateness of the comments and the broader political implications for regional governance.
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