French PM heckled amid Europe's rampant wildfires
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was met with boos from about 200 residents at a town hall in Le Porge, an area slammed by 183 char‑burned homes. The protest followed a surge in wildfires that have forced evacuations across France, Belgium, Greece, Spain and Croatia.
Lecornu announced a €12 million aid package—€10 million for the Gironde and €2 million for Landes—meant to help local councils launch recovery projects quickly. He also promised building permits for rebuilding to be issued within a month or sooner.
Residents, led by activist Ludivine Daurignac, alleged they were blocked by riot police and that the premier had refused to meet them. They plan to file complaints demanding truth, transparency and justice.
European response has been swift: the EU dispatched assistance to Belgium and Spain, while additional helicopters from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway and Sweden flew in to support Belgian firefighters. In Greece, planes dropped fire‑retardant on Salamina, where twin fires threatened the island’s evacuated tourists.
Across Europe, officials report increased forest fires: Greece now faces 41 in 24 hours, and the Spanish Aragon region mourns a soldier’s death amid flames lashing its border. The EU’s Copernicus service confirmed that June‑July was the hottest on record in western Europe, fueling hotter and drier conditions that aggravate wildfires.
As wildfires continue to spread, governments face the twin challenge of rapid response and long‑term recovery. The French premier’s tense arrival underscores the growing tensions between disaster management and citizen expectations, especially as the storm of blaze threat shows no sign of easing.
