In brief
Sébastien Lecornu, France’s Prime Minister, met an angry crowd in Le Porge after wildfires destroyed 183 homes, prompting criticism that he failed to engage residents. He announced €12 million in aid for the Gironde and Landes regions and expedited rebuilding permits, yet locals say security blocked their access. The blaze is just one in a wave of devastating European wildfires, with Belgium, Greece, Spain and Croatia also battling large fires that cost lives and displaced thousands.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was met with boos and shouts when he visited the town hall of Le Porge, a village in southwestern France whose 183 houses have burned. Residents accused the government of ignoring their plight and of allowing the fire to spread unchecked.
In the same week, wildfires have threatened communities from Belgium’s Hautes Fagnes to Spain’s Aragón, spilling into Greece’s Salamina island and killing at least one person in Croatia. The fires have claimed thousands of homes and forced mass evacuations.
Lecornu announced €12 million in assistance for the Gironde and Landes regions, with €10 million earmarked for Gironde and €2 million for Landes. He promised rapid building‑permit approvals and a quick recovery plan to help the affected areas rebuild.
Despite this, organiser Ludivine Daurignac said that protestors were physically prevented from meeting with the Prime Minister, with police blocking their entry. “We want truth, transparency and justice,” she demanded.
Countries across the region are scrambling to contain the escalating blazes: Belgium is receiving aid from France and other EU neighbours, while Greece deployed planes and fire‑retardant drops to hard‑to‑reach forests.
Put together, the calamity highlights the growing urgency of climate‑action policy, with the EU’s climate‑monitoring service recording the hottest June‑to‑July period on record. It underlines how extreme weather is pushing governments to confront the “fire‑faced” future of Europe.
