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The Climate Threat The Political Situation in Spain
Spanish Right-Wing Vows to Repeal Climate Laws if Elected

Spain’s conservative parties plan to dismantle the country’s far-reaching climate legislation should they win next month’s election, reports Politico.

The right-wing PP party, which leads in most opinion polls, has pledged to slow the pace of the green transition.

"We will not introduce unnecessary requirements, and we will remove those that harm competitiveness, industry, or jobs," the party states in its election manifesto.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a Socialist, has been one of the EU’s most vocal proponents of stricter climate regulations; however, his party, the PSOE, currently appears to be trailing. 

Extreme Weather in Europe
Schools to Close as Hurricane Approaches Portugal

Authorities in Portugal are closing schools and urging non-essential businesses to remain shut on Wednesday, reports AFP. The measures come as Hurricane Charles is expected to arrive from the Atlantic.

Wind speeds of nearly 40 meters per second are anticipated, and waves reaching five meters in height could strike the coastline in some areas.

"Everyone who can should stay home," says Interior Minister Luis Neves.

Affected areas include Lisbon.

The Burnt-Out "Eagle’s Nest"
"Eagle’s Nest" Poses Dilemma for Germany: Should It Be Saved?

In late October, Hitler’s infamous "Eagle’s Nest" was damaged by fire. Since then, a debate has raged in Germany regarding how the authorities should handle structures from the Nazi era, report Le Monde and the BBC.

More than 80 years have passed since the end of the Second World War, yet Germany still struggles with how to relate to its past. At the same time, it is impossible to ignore the fact that Nazi-era structures—such as the "Eagle’s Nest"—have become major tourist destinations. In recent years, the *Kehlsteinhaus*—the building’s actual name—has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors.

"We cannot leave a ruin in a place like this," says Joachim Herrmann, Interior Minister for the state of Bavaria, according to the newspaper.

However, the state’s former Minister of Culture, Ludwig Spaenle, disagrees; he argues that renovating a Nazi-era building would send entirely the wrong message.

"No lessons can be learned from the coldness evoked within the tea room that belonged to Germany’s greatest criminal."

Twelve dead and 51 injured in Bulgarian pile-up

Twelve people have died in a multi-vehicle collision amid dense fog on a motorway in eastern Bulgaria, reports AFP. 51 injured individuals have been taken to hospitals.

The accident, which occurred near the city of Yambol on the A1 motorway, began with a collision between a bus and a truck. Around 50 vehicles remain scattered in disarray on and around the road.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev has declared a national day of mourning for tomorrow, according to Reuters.

Last year, 456 people died in traffic accidents in Bulgaria—a rate of 71 per million inhabitants. This is the highest figure in the EU, according to the European Commission.