Macron pledges rebuilding for wildfire-ravaged southwest France

President Emmanuel Macron has vowed that France will rebuild and repair the areas in the southwest devastated by recent wildfires. "We will rebuild, we will repair and we will be there for as long as necessary," Macron stated on Instagram.

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We will rebuild, we will repair and we will be there for as long as necessary.

He expressed gratitude to the nation's firefighters, military, police, and farmers for their relentless efforts in fighting the blazes. Macron described the situation as a severe test for France, highlighting the country's unity and solidarity. "In these hours when the flames put our country to a hard test, France shows its true face. A united people who stand together," he wrote.

Civilian and military forces have been mobilized, with an additional 500 soldiers deployed to the affected regions, bringing the total to 1,500. These wildfires are the most extensive France has experienced, with nearly 1,000 square kilometers burned. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called it a "historic record."

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In these hours when the flames put our country to a hard test, France shows its true face. A united people who stand together.

The fires primarily affect the Landes and Gironde departments, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The updated figure of 197,000 evacuated is likely the largest in French peacetime history, according to the minister. Macron also extended his thoughts to Spain, Italy, and Greece, which are also battling wildfires, and thanked European nations like Germany and Sweden for their support. "It is Europe. In this ordeal, the solidarity that is the foundation of Europe lives on," he said.

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It is Europe. In this ordeal, the solidarity that is the foundation of Europe lives on.