Teresa Ribera says Europe is unprepared, but criticism turns on her own record

Teresa Ribera says Europe is unprepared, but criticism turns on her own record

Teresa Ribera, Spain's Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Ecological Transition, has stated that Europe is not prepared for the consequences of climate change. Far from generating consensus, the remark has sparked a backlash on social media and economic forums. Not because of the diagnosis — few dispute the scale of the challenge — but because of the political handling of recent climate events in Spain.

## The shadow of the Valencia floods and the wildfires

Ribera's comments come at a time when the response to the DANA (the deadly flooding event) in Valencia — particularly around the Barranco del Poyo — remains a target of criticism. The reproaches go beyond the political opposition: in public debate, many point out that the institutional response to the floods was late and poorly coordinated. To this is added the case of a fire allegedly started by an electric car that caught fire, whose driver pulled it onto the hard shoulder, fuelling the narrative that the energy transition carries unforeseen costs.

A paradox sits on the table: while Ribera calls for greater European preparedness, critics argue that current funds and measures arrive too late, and that EU bureaucracy weighs down the response. The perception that climate rhetoric sometimes serves as cover for controversial migration or energy policies — such as the accommodation of migrants — adds fuel to the fire.

## A polarised debate, even in the data

The arguments range from those who see climate change as an undeniable reality demanding urgent action, to those who regard it as an ideological pretext. But on one point there is agreement: neither governments nor European institutions have shown they are up to the extreme weather events already striking. The cost calculation — between insured losses, infrastructure investment and emergency spending — does not match the pace at which measures are being implemented.

As the European Commission works to finalise its climate adaptation strategy, the sense is one of a mismatch. Ribera has focused on the diagnosis, but the public wants action proving that this time there will be no words without a response.