Portuguese MEPs want more action to combat natural disasters that are part of everyday life

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Portuguese MEPs insisted today on the need for more investment from the European Union (EU) for the prevention of natural disasters and dramatized that catastrophic weather phenomena are already everyday life for European citizens.

“Every year we lament the fires, the drought, the deaths, the floods,” began Social Democrat José Manuel Fernandes, who is part of the European People’s Party (EPP) political family, during a debate in the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg on the prevention of disasters such as heatwaves, floods and forest fires.

“More than words,” the MEP continued, actions are needed and the 27 “are not doing their job”: “We don’t lack money, you have storms of millions.”

He went on to criticize the Socialist government in Portugal for rejecting “8.3 billion euros for the loans part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan [PRR] that could have been used”, in José Manuel Fernandes’ view, for “forestry planning, helping the rural world” and preparing for periods of drought with aid for irrigation.

Despite criticism of national political decisions, there seems to be a consensus on this issue at European level.

Socialist MEP Sara Cerdas, of the Social Democrats (S&D), called for “greater preparation” among the 27 and “more effective responses” to minimize the consequences of increasingly severe weather phenomena.

“Extreme heatwaves, floods, forest fires are already part of our daily lives,” so he called for more action, fast.

Communist MEP João Pimenta Lopes, who belongs to the Left in the EP, said the lack of appropriate funding and “support for disaster prevention” had consequences for the majority of EU citizens.

“Instead, we see the reduction or detour of cohesion funds and other funds to feed the profits, among others, of the energy and arms groups,” he added.

Much of the territory of European Union countries has been hit by extreme weather events in recent years. In the last four months, for example, there have been heatwaves all over the EU, floods and large-scale forest fires that have destroyed homes and caused casualties.

Moti Shabi
Moti Shabi
Moti Shabi, CEO and founder of Portugal Pulse, has led career that spans multiple continents and industries. Born in Paris and later immigrating to Tel Aviv, Israel, Moti's background uniquely positions him at the intersection of European and Middle Eastern cultures. He holds a Law License from Ono College, reflecting his multifaceted interests in law, media, technology, and culture.    Moti's love affair with Portugal began in 2016 when he founded EASY NATIONALITY, an immigration office focused on aiding the Sephardic community in the wake of Portugal's law of return for Sephardic Jews. This endeavor demonstrated his commitment to creating meaningful social and cultural bridges.    In 2018, he launched Hadshot Portugal, the first-ever news website about Portugal in Hebrew. Recognizing the importance of bringing Portuguese culture and news to a broader audience, Moti took the step of immigrating to Lisbon in 2023, where he founded both Portugal Pulse and Portugal France. These platforms aim to offer comprehensive coverage of Portuguese news, events, and culture to the English and French-speaking worlds, respectively.    Moti's vision extends beyond news dissemination. He aspires to be an ambassador for Portuguese culture and to strengthen the connections among Portuguese diaspora communities worldwide. In pursuit of this ambitious goal, Moti founded Aliança Portugueses in 2021. Through this initiative, he aims to bring together Portuguese communities, creating a network of individuals and organizations bound by their love for Portugal.

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