Wildfires in Greece and Spain: KKE and PCTE hold bourgeois governments responsible

As devastating wildfires continue to ravage Southern Europe, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) have sharply condemned their respective bourgeois governments, arguing that the repeated destruction is not merely the result of extreme weather conditions but of policies that systematically leave public fire protection services understaffed, underfunded and unprepared. 

 

Los Angeles Wildfires: Capital is to Blame

Los Angeles Burns, Capital is to Blame

On 7 January 2025, the most destructive wildfire in the history of Los Angeles broke out in the Palisades neighborhood of the city. 

The blaze has leveled thousands of homes and structures, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. LA, a city with a metropolitan population of nearly 13 million, is now blanketed by the smoke from the fires, reducing air quality to dangerous levels.

Greece wildfires — KKE: The country is once again left unprotected against fire fronts

Criminal state - government responsibilities for the lack of prevention and inadequate firefighting means

Volunteer groups of the KKE and KNE are fighting the dozens of disastrous wildfires that have broken out around the country together with firefighters and local residents. KKE MPs are also present in the fire-stricken areas.

Greece fires: The KKE exposes the criminal responsibilities of all governments

“The responsible ones and the reason are known. The responsibilities of all governments are timeless”, says the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) concerning the ongoing disastrous fires of the last days in Evia, Attica and Peloponnese.

With info-graphics published on social media, the KKE exposes the responsibilities of all the Greek governments (both liberal and social democratic), including those of PASOK, New Democracy and SYRIZA. 

Greece fires: Remarks by the KKE General Secretary Dimitris Koutsoumbas

Extensive fires have raged in many parts of Greece, including in the outskirts of Athens, the island of Evia (Euboea) and Peloponnese with thousands of people fleeing as protracted heat wave turned forests into tinderboxes and flames threatened populated areas, electricity installations and historic sites. 

In a statement, the General Secretary of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Dimitris Koutsoumbas said:

“The members and the friends of the KKE, its deputies and those elected to regional and municipal councils are in battle positions against the wildfires, by the side of the people who are being tested once again.

Australia Fires: "Capitalism and all its political parties have failed the Australian people and have no answer to solve this crisis"

"Capitalism and all its political parties have failed the Australian people and have no answer to solve the crisis" points out the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) in a statement regarding the ongoing wildfires disaster in the country. The CPA calls the Morrison government to carry out its duty or, otherwise, resign. 

The full statement is the following:

Amazon rainforest is burning — Bolsonaro is a modern Nero

An immense ecological disaster has been taking place for over two weeks in the "earth's lungs", the Amazon rainforest in South America. 

According to the estimations of Brazilian and Bolivian authorities, more than 500,000 acres of virgin forest have already been destroyed, thousands of wild animals have been killed and several local tribes have been affected. 

It must be noted that the area of Amazon covers 7.4 million square kilometres (5 million sq klm consist of dense rainforest), spreading to 9 countries including Brazil (60%), Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Equador, Paraguay, Suriname, Guyana and French Guiana. The huge rainforest of Amazon has been characteristed as the "earth's lungs", taking into account that it absorbs approximately 1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. 

Wildfires in Greece: A Capitalist Crime

At least 84 people are dead and 187 injured. The number of those missing is still unknown. Thousands of properties have been turned into ashes. The results of the deadly wildfires which affected the region of Attica are devastating.

The SYRIZA-ANEL coalition government has unleashed an outrageous communicative campaign in order to throw the blame for the disaster somewhere else, except from itself. They blame the “weather”, the “climate change”, the supposedly “unprecedented weather conditions”, the “wind”, etc.

Communist Party of Greece: Statement on the disastrous wildfires [En, Es, Ar]

In a statement regarding the disastrous wildfires, the Press Office of the CC of the Communist Party of Greece points out the following:

“The KKE expresses its condolences to the families of the victims of the fires in the area of Nea Makri and Rafina. It supports the dozens of injured people and thousands of people who saw their properties be consumed by firein the fires that hit East and West Attica.

The KKE demands from the government to mobilize all the necessary forces of the state mechanism to support the inhabitants of the regions. The government must take all necessary measuresin order to:

Greece Wildfires: Statements of solidarity by the Communist Parties of Turkey (TKP) and Spain (PCPE)

On the tragic occasion of the deadly wildfires in the region of Attica, which resulted to at least 76 deaths, dozens of missing persons and 186 injured adults and children, the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the Communist Party of the Peoples of Spain (PCPE) issued statements of internationalist solidarity towards the Greek people. 

Greece Wildfires: Tsipras' government bears "criminal responsibilities", says the KKE

KKE: The policy that sacrifices fire protection is guilty of the CRIME

The firefighting forces fought with the flames, but their struggle was uneven since the current government of SYRIZA-ANEL, like all the previous ones, blamed the weather, without having any substantial organization, infrastructure and means. 

As it is pointed out in the comment of the Press Office of the CC of the KKE: “The fires that destroy forest and rural land as well as residences, once again highlight the lack of fire protection measures, the inadequacy of forest protection and forest fire-fighting infrastructures and the shortcomings in means and personnel. The KKE demands from the government of SYRIZA-ANEL, from all responsible state and local authorities, to take all the necessary measures right now in order to effectively deal with the fires that are in progress.” 

Deadly wildfires in Greece: PAME calls for immediate solidarity to those affected

More than 50 people have died in wildfires burning in the Attica region around Athens, in Greece's worst fire crisis in more than a decade. 

According to the local mayor, 26 bodies were found in a yard in the seaside village of Mati, which is at the centre of the disaster. The fire brigade confirmed an overall death toll of 49, with many of the dead believed to be young children. It is estimated that the number of deaths will grow by the end of the day. 

Many calls have been made to the rescue services looking for missing persons. As part of a huge rescue effort, emergency workers used boats and helicopters to evacuate a beach.

Who is to blame for Greece's disastrous wildfires?

Firefighters in Greece battle wildfires northeast of Athens for a third day trying to prevent a blaze that scorched thousands of hectares of pine forest from spreading further. The fire near Athens started in Kalamos, a coastal holiday spot some 45 km (30 miles) northeast of the capital, and spread to three more towns, damaging dozens of homes. A state of emergency was declared in the area.

On Monday 14 August, firefighters battled more than 90 forest fires across Greece, an outbreak fed by dry winds and hot weather that saw blazes burning near Athens, in the Peloponnese, and on the Ionian islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia.

ΚΚΕ: Both SYRIZA and New Democracy share responsibility for their policies over forest protection, land commercialization, privatization of firefighting services.

The EU officially denies to compensate people affected by large wildfire in Greece

Photo from the large forest fire in northern Euboea, last August.

According to the portal 902.gr, the European Union denied to use solidarity and regional funds in order to compensate the- affected by extensive forest fire- residents and retsina producers in northern Euboea, Greece. Replying to a question by the EU Parliament delegation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the EU tries to downgrade the importance of the damage created by the wildfires. Additionally, from the answer of the EU becomes clear that the Greek government, which bares huge responsibilities for cuts in public spending including in firefighting equipment and personnel, didn't claim any compensation for the victims of the wildfire.

Below, you can read the question submitted by the KKE MEP Konstantinos Papadakis and the reply provided on behalf of the EU by commissioner Ms.Corina Crețu.

Question by KKE MEP Kostas Papadakis, 5 August 2016.