Esteban González Pons, head of the Popular Party (PP) delegation in the European Parliament, issued an apology on Wednesday to the victims of the severe flooding that struck Valencia on October 29, resulting in 228 fatalities.

This apology was made during González Pons's first meeting with the two main victims' associations, occurring more than six months after the devastating inundations.

Notably, Valencian President Carlos Mazón has yet to meet with these associations.

In the meeting, González Pons expressed his commitment not to obstruct a European investigation into the disaster, under the condition that the title of the inquiry does not predetermine the investigation's outcome.

On the same day, the PP has vetoed, for the third time, a request put forth before the European Parliament's petitions committee, a move criticized by Socialist MEP Sandra Gómez, who highlighted what she described as the party's cynicism.

Victims met with Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Parliament, earlier in the day.

The victims reported feeling heard and reassured, contrasting their experience with what they called 'institutional mistreatment' and 'censorship' from the Valencian government, led by Mazón. Members of the Associació Víctimes DANA 29 Octubre and the Associació Víctimes Mortals DANA 29-O characterized their meeting as 'positive', stating that it offered more support than what they had received from local authorities in Valencia and Spain.

Von der Leyen committed to reviewing emergency systems and preventive mechanisms in order to draw lessons for future incidents.

González Pons, who met with the victims alongside MEPs Rosa Estarás and Carmen Crespo, confirmed there was a commitment to pursuing an investigation from the petitions committee, while reiterating the condition about the title of the inquiry.

During the meeting, which González Pons described as 'very emotional', he expressed regrets for not addressing the situation sooner, stating, 'If they think I should have done something earlier, I apologize, but I felt the appropriate time to act was when the matter was in Brussels.' He clarified that he spoke in a personal capacity and emphasized that the empathy shown was shared by other prominent party figures.

González Pons stated he was aware that the Valencian Popular Party and Carlos Mazón were prepared to meet with the victims eventually, hoping it would occur soon, despite the considerable time elapsed since the tragedy.

Rosa María Álvarez, president of the Associació Víctimes Mortals DANA 29-O, indicated that the primary issue lay with Mazón and his government, noting that any meeting would come too late, following the loss of lives and continuous institutional neglect.