European Commission Vice‑President Teresa Ribera accused politicians who deny the role of climate change in this summer’s wildfires of "lying to people" and endangering lives. Speaking from Madrid, Ribera said climate scepticism weakens Europe’s preparedness for increasingly intense fires and pointed to more than 10,000 excess deaths during late June heatwaves. She warned Brussels against weakening core Green Deal policies — urging simplification, not dismantling, of climate protections.
EU Climate Chief Teresa Ribera Says Deniers Are "Lying" as Wildfires Devastate Southern Europe
EU's competition chief Ribera slams climate deniers as fires rage: 'They are lying'
European Commission Executive Vice‑President Teresa Ribera strongly criticised politicians who deny the link between climate change and this summer’s intense wildfires, saying such claims "are lying to people" and put lives at risk.
Speaking to Euronews from fire‑hit Madrid — one of the worst affected areas — Ribera warned that growing climate scepticism undermines Europe’s ability to prepare for and respond to an increasingly dangerous wildfire season.
"We have lots of new parliamentarians in the European Parliament, political families and national politicians who are very vocal against climate science and climate action. This is dangerous, they are lying to people," Ribera told Euronews.
She rejected suggestions that the blazes are merely a routine seasonal occurrence, arguing that warming temperatures and changing weather patterns are creating "new types of wildfires" that burn more intensely and threaten communities, infrastructure, wildlife and human life. Ribera drew a sharp analogy to underline the stakes:
"The closest example would be someone in public office saying you can drink as much whiskey as you want and then drive because road accidents have nothing to do with alcohol, only with the condition of the road or the car. This is stupid."
Public health figures underline the scale of the crisis: more than 10,000 excess deaths were recorded across Europe during late June’s extreme heatwaves.
Politics, Policy and the Green Deal
Ribera — who is responsible for the EU’s clean, just and competitive transition — made the remarks at a politically sensitive moment in Brussels. Over the past year the European Commission’s focus has shifted from ambitious flagship climate legislation toward economic competitiveness, industrial policy and cutting regulatory burdens for businesses.
Some national governments and political groups have urged the bloc to relax certain environmental rules to remain competitive with the United States and China. Measures being debated include dilution of methane regulations for oil and gas producers and watering down the nature restoration law, which protects forests and peatlands.
Ribera cautioned that responding to a severe wildfire season by dismantling the policies designed to reduce climate risk would be counterproductive. While she acknowledged that regulation can be simplified to reduce unnecessary burdens, she warned that abandoning the core elements of the European Green Deal would be a serious mistake.
"Providing the right answer is not just getting rid of everything that has been building these green roots to keep on building prosperity," she said, stressing the need to maintain long‑term climate resilience alongside economic competitiveness.
What This Means
Experts say Europe must combine better prevention, land and forest management, emergency planning and emissions reductions to adapt to a hotter climate and limit future disasters. Ribera’s comments signal a clear pushback against political forces seeking to roll back environmental protections at a time when climate impacts are already proving deadly.
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