The Guardian view on Europe’s wildfires: politics must catch up with the new reality | Editorial
Summary
Large wildfires in south-west France and Spain are causing widespread damage and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate. Experts link these worsening fires to climate change and warn that many European leaders are not acting quickly enough to address environmental challenges.Key Facts
- A pyrocumulonimbus, a fire-made thunderstorm that worsens wildfires, has appeared for the first time in France’s Bordeaux region.
- France has burned much more land this year compared to all of 2025, with 220,000 people evacuated in the Gironde area.
- Spain has also seen a big increase, with over 170,000 hectares affected and more than 100,000 people displaced.
- Scientists say wildfires in Europe are growing stronger and lasting longer due to global warming.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez connects the crisis to climate change and supports faster green policies in the EU.
- Some European governments, including France and Italy, are cutting environmental funding or weakening climate policies.
- The European Commission proposed easing rules on pollution permits for heavy industry, which critics say delays climate action.
- Temperatures are expected to reach 40°C in parts of France during a fourth heatwave hitting Europe.
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