“I’ve been focusing a lot on this topic,” said Mitsotakis, speaking to POLITICO in his office in Athens last month. “I’m a big believer [in] the green transition. [But] it cannot be at the expense of those who actually suffer from the consequences of climate change today.”
Preparations for the devastating effects of climate change are known under the catch-all term “climate adaptation.” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen committed to a European Climate Adaptation Plan in her program for a second term. That was presented to the European Parliament in July.
The Greek leader is a close confidant of von der Leyen and a powerful figure in her European People’s Party. He said the Commission president’s focus on adaptation was “extremely welcome.”
But, as with other big issues facing the continent, one sticking point is how much money will be spent on an issue primarily affecting half the bloc. While the north will also face increasingly deadly heat, floods, fires and the spread of communicable disease, the hammer is falling first and hardest in the south.
With discussions at EU level eventually likely to involve demands for cash to help the most affected regions, it could test how much rich but tight-fisted northern Europeans really want to aid their neighbors.
“You want to invest as soon as possible because that reduces the cost, and that provides early access to benefits. This is why the financial discussion is important,” said Ribera, when asked if she envisaged a special EU fund to address the issue.