The Ávila fire, now the largest in Spain's history with 50,000 hectares burned, has sparked a clamor for the Prime Minister to cancel his trip to Lanzarote and lead a crisis cabinet in La Moncloa.
The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, is facing increasing pressure to suspend his planned holidays in Lanzarote and take charge of a crisis cabinet in light of the wave of wildfires sweeping across Spain. The fire in Ávila, which has already scorched 50,000 hectares, has become the largest wildfire in the country's history, according to official sources.
Diverse voices from the political, economic, and social spheres have urged the head of the government to cancel his trip to the Canary Island and to preside in person at La Moncloa over a crisis committee throughout August. The situation is deemed unsustainable following the successive extensions of the 2023 Budget into 2024, 2025, and 2026, and the recent departure of Yolanda Díaz, Gerardo Pisarello, and Mónica García from Sumar, which has left the PSOE with 120 seats.
King Felipe VI, accompanied by Queen Letizia, visited the town of Villamanta in Madrid on Wednesday, one of the areas affected by the flames. There, the monarch called for reflection on “what can be done better, not during the emergency itself,” but beforehand, in the environment and in resources, “so that the damage from any fire, which will occur, is as minimal as possible.”
Before heading to Villamanta, the King held a meeting at the Headquarters of the Military Emergency Unit (UME), where he was briefed on the situation of the wildfires through telematic connections with military personnel deployed at various locations. The monarch has been following the evolution of the fires from Palma and has contacted all the presidents of the autonomous communities and mayors of the affected municipalities by phone.
In his message to the nation from Villamanta, the King highlighted the importance of “providing certainty that all possible resources, both human and material, are being employed to alleviate this situation.” He emphasized that coordination in the fight against the wildfires “is being exemplary in every sense.”
For her part, Queen Letizia stated that “it is important and makes sense to listen attentively to the neighbours, to hear how they feel and how they describe their hasty departure from their homes, the sadness they express, the anguish, the uncertainty.” She added that those affected are asking themselves “when will I return? What will my house be like? What will I find?” and, above all, “what needs to be done to prevent this from happening again?”
The opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, has also travelled to the area. He visited the forward command post in Navalcarnero, where he met with those responsible for the firefighting operation. After the meeting, he sent a message of support to those affected: “You are not alone; you have our solidarity and that of the entire Spanish people.” He acknowledged the “enormous anxiety, uncertainty, and helplessness” felt by those who have had to leave their homes or remain confined.
The Ávila fire, which is now the largest recorded in Spain, has led to the evacuation of numerous towns and keeps the entire community on edge. The flames, fanned by high temperatures and wind, have ravaged tens of thousands of hectares of forest and agricultural land, also affecting the Community of Madrid.
The call for Sánchez to suspend his holidays in Lanzarote has intensified in recent hours. Political sources consulted believe that the seriousness of the situation requires a coordinated and visible response from the presidency of the government, especially with an August ahead that, according to the King, “we have a lot of summer left and we must be very attentive and vigilant.”
For the Canarians, the news has a double impact: on one hand, solidarity with those affected by the fire on the mainland; on the other, uncertainty about whether the president will maintain his trip to Lanzarote, which could generate significant security and logistical deployment on the island. For now, there is no official confirmation on whether Sánchez will cancel his holidays.
The next significant event on the institutional agenda is the King's audience with the Prime Minister, scheduled for Wednesday the 29th in Palma. It is expected that the crisis of the wildfires and the measures to be adopted will be addressed in that meeting.
You may also like
