EU crisis chief calls French fires a 'wake-up call' on climate change

European Commissioner for crisis management Hadja Lahbib has stated that the increasingly destructive wildfire seasons in Europe are a direct consequence of climate change, dismissing the views of climate sceptics. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Euronews from France, Lahbib described the blazes as "the biggest wake-up call" in years, emphasizing that "Climate change is not knocking at our door. It is here." She urged for greater investment in prevention and preparedness, not solely in expanding firefighting capacity.

Her remarks come as wildfires continue to rage across southern Europe, with France, Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia seeking European emergency assistance. This trend is viewed by Brussels as a continent-wide climate security challenge. Lahbib defended the European Commission's proposal to allocate €10.7 billion for preparedness measures in the EU's next long-term budget, stressing the need for better anticipation of disasters.

The wildfire season began unusually early this year, with the Netherlands activating the EU Civil Protection Mechanism on April 30. Piotr Borkowski, Executive Director of the European State Forest Association, noted that the outlook for the Mediterranean remains "very negative," with early summer heatwaves causing extreme moisture loss in vegetation, making it highly susceptible to ignition. He added that the current season's intensity is driven by long-term structural issues, including the abandonment of traditional landscape management practices alongside evolving climate conditions.