Europe's infernal summer: Record heat, wildfires, and migration

Europe and Greece are once again under pressure, as crises largely outside their control have left many on the continent feeling exposed. This summer we have seen sweltering heatwaves, unprecedented wildfires, and a sudden migration crisis at Spain’s border. After facing extended heatwaves last month, fires displaced more than 300,000 people in France and Spain, while firefighters in Greece tragically perished battling fires that have destroyed homes, habitats, and left a landscape covered in ash. In Greece’s case, despite spending large sums on the latest firefighting aircraft and technology over the past years, and civil society and journalists having tools like “FireWatch” at their disposal, we seem to be having similar conversations every year about what we need to do to better prepare and protect Greece's environment. As the continent faced these devastating fires, another crisis broke out on its southwestern shores as tens of thousands of migrants sought to cross into Spain from Morocco. Many are blaming either Morocco for weaponizing migrants, Europe for lacking solidarity, or Spain's government for its migration policies. Prime Minister Mitsotakis even penned an op-ed in Politico making the case that the EU needs new tools to fight back against weaponized migration. As Europe deals with these challenges, the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has kept Greek shipping in the spotlight, as even this week Greek-owned ships were targeted. This gives us a chance to dig into part two of our deep dive into the story of Greek shipping this week. Professor Costas Synolakis, Nikos Efstathiou, Thanasis Troboukis, Aggeliki Dimitriadi, and John Psaropoulos join Thanos Davelis as we give you an inside look at all these developments. A little more info on our guests: Prof. Costas Synolakis is a preeminent authority on the impact of natural hazards. Nikos Efstathiou is the editor in chief of WIRED Greece. Thanasis Troboukis is a journalist and the founder of the platform Fire Watch. Aggeliki Dimitriadi is and independent researcher and expert on issues of migration. John Psaropoulos is an independent journalist, Al Jazeera's correspondent in southeast Europe, and publisher of Hellenica on Substack. You can support The Greek Current by joining HALC as a member here.