Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Unmanaged climate catastrophes fuel far-right parties, which exploit anger at politicians while they deny that humans cause climate change. This is what a Spanish Minister has warned.
As the authorities face a backlash over fatal floods in Valencia last year, Óscar Puente, Spain’s transport minister, said there was a “visceral” reaction to disasters in which fury at the authorities eclipsed analysis of the underlying climate causes.
In Spain, the far-right Vox party has gained support since the October floods by capitalising on the perceived failures of both mainstream parties — conservatives who lead the regional government and the Socialist-led national government.
Puente, when asked about the trend in an interview with the Financial Times conducted in London, said: “Citizens’ analyses of things have a visceral element. It’s not completely rational. It is a component that involves more emotions than data.”
Rightwingers claimed that the authorities and city of Los Angeles failed people following wildfires which ravaged the city this month, killing at least 28 people. Tens of thousands were forced to leave their homes. Elon Musk is a billionaire who has been a close confidant to President Donald Trump. amplified claims Los Angeles’ investments in diversity-and-inclusion programmes have cost lives, as they waste money and divert leaders.
When Spain’s King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez were pelted with mud by angry locals on a visit to the disaster zone, Sánchez’s government pinned the blame on far-right extremists. More than 220 people were killed by the floods.
Vox, which questions the reality of climate change, helped cancel the creation of a new emergency unit approved by a previous administration when it was in a regional coalition government in 2023-24. The party also received criticism for the appointment of a former Spanish bullfighter to Valencia’s top cultural official.
Puente said, “I don’t know how the Valencians can look to Vox if Vox wants to replace scientists, emergency managers, and bullfighters with bullfighters.”
According to 40dB polling, Vox has seen its national support increase from 10.5% before the floods up to 13.8% this month. The vote share of Vox is lower than the far-right party in France or Germany.
Valencia’s regional council, which is now under the conservative People’s party’s leadership, caused widespread anger by failing to warn the public of flood dangers after torrential downpours. Carlos Mázon, the regional president, was infamously at a three-hour lunch when water began to engulf urban streets.
In the wake of the floods, anger spread to Sánchez’s central government as it bore the brunt of the blame for a slow rescue and recovery effort.
Under the slogan, “only people can save people”, several groups with far-right ties sent activists into the disaster zones to help clean or deliver food.
Pepa Millán, Vox’s spokesperson in the lower house of parliament, on Friday said: “When the failed regional government and a negligent [central] The government abandoned Valencians. After that, the nation emerged, the best Spain. It was a selfless Spain, especially represented by the young. This is the Spain which we defend.”
Puente said, “With a tragedy this large it’s hard for the government to respond. However strong they may be.” People expect an instant response and immediate solutions. The damage was so severe in Valencia that no government would be able to respond.
Both the Socialist Party and the PP are also blamed for the failures of successive governments in implementing engineering plans to reduce flooding risks.
In Spain, there has been much less debate about climate change. Scientists say that it is responsible for the intense downpours in the Mediterranean Sea by heating the water to record temperatures.
He said, “I think it’s important to give this time.” “The next couple of months will be critical.” “I hope we can revive Valencia, and with time, the viscerality will decrease and rationality will emerge. I believe things will be seen as they are.”
Police accused conspiracy theorists and far-right extremists, who were attempting to take advantage of the floods that occurred in Germany in 2021, which resulted in at least 180 deaths and 30,000 people being left homeless.
The authorities claimed that far-right activists were posing in vehicles with loudspeakers and distributing false information about emergency services and rescue crews reducing help.
Puente visited London in early April to promote the Spanish train industry to the UK government. Spain’s high-speed rail network is so strong, he said, that it has survived the floods in one piece, barring a 1.2km section.
However, many roads and local trains were damaged, requiring extensive repairs overseen by transport ministry. Puente warned, “Let us not fool ourselves.” “Adapting infrastructure and the world to climate change is not possible in the short-term and will require lots of investment.”
The national government says it has made €16.6bn in aid available to individuals and businesses recovering from the floods, receiving 363,000 requests for assistance so far.
Laura Pitel and Christopher Grimes contributed additional reporting from Berlin and Los Angeles
