Spanish Minister Defends Record as Flood Crisis Casts Shadow on EU Role

Spain’s environment minister, Teresa Ribera, has come under intense scrutiny over her handling of a deadly flood disaster, as political tensions threaten to overshadow her nomination for a prominent European Commission role. The controversy arises as the Socialist politician seeks to secure her position in Brussels, with a vote on the new European Commission scheduled for December 1.

According to The Financial Times, Ribera attributed much of the flood devastation and the resulting loss of life to the “incompetence” of regional authorities, sparking a heated exchange with opposition lawmakers. The floods, which struck Spain on October 29, claimed 219 lives, predominantly in Valencia, with eight people still missing. Ribera faced criticism for taking over three weeks to address Spain’s national parliament about the disaster.

The conservative People’s Party (PP) has been vocal in its criticism, suggesting Ribera’s ministry shares responsibility because it oversees the state weather agency and a river basin authority responsible for monitoring rainfall and flood risks. Ribera, however, has countered by accusing the PP of unfairly targeting civil servants and redirecting blame away from Valencia’s regional government, led by Carlos Mazón.

Mazón, the head of the Valencia government, has faced his own backlash after it was revealed that he attended a lengthy lunch on the day of the floods, during which his administration delayed sending emergency alerts until after towns and villages were inundated. Though Mazón appeared before the regional parliament last week, he avoided addressing his lunch and instead criticized the river basin authority for an alleged “two-and-a-half-hour information blackout.”

Ribera has rejected this claim, stating there was “never” any such blackout and pointing to numerous messages sent to Valencia’s emergency management teams. “Protocols, regulations, and codes must be adapted to the climate risk,” Ribera emphasized, per The Financial Times, but added that even the best information is ineffective if those responsible for acting on it fail to do so.

The disaster has highlighted deep political divides in Spain, particularly over the handling of climate risks. Ribera accused some elements of the Spanish right of climate change skepticism, suggesting this mindset undermines preparedness for extreme weather events. “If you mock the [weather agency’s] red warnings, it is very difficult to draw conclusions that will prepare us for the next calamity,” she said.

Despite the controversy, Ribera appears poised to move forward with her Brussels appointment.

Source: The Financial Times