Feijóo's remarks on Saturday came as several fires ravaged parts of Spain, with the most serious in Madrid, Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha. The Interior Ministry had declared a national emergency for the blazes in the Madrid region and Ávila.

A call for unity amid wildfires

Feijóo, the former president of Galicia, a region that has repeatedly suffered forest fires, said he had already spoken with the three most affected regional presidents: those of Madrid, Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha. He also contacted mayors from the Madrid area.

“We are all working and I hope everyone is at their post and up to their responsibilities.”

The Popular Party leader stressed that cooperation must be the priority.

“The important thing is to work together, attend to people, and preserve material goods as much as possible.”

He then added a phrase he repeated in several appearances:

“But above all, preserve people's lives.”

Political tensions and a plea to 'refresh the atmosphere'

The appeal came against a backdrop of heated exchanges between Transport Minister Óscar Puente and Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Puente had criticised PP-led regions for requesting help from the Military Emergency Unit while cutting taxes, and he later called Ayuso a "mamarrachada". Ayuso hit back, saying coordination was good despite "buffoons" and urging everyone to "stop the nonsense" and focus on saving lives.

Asked about those clashes, Feijóo said he would not speak of "fights".

“I think there are statements that speak for themselves.”

He then returned to his central message:

“We are going to refresh the political atmosphere.”

The wildfire toll

The most destructive blaze, in La Mierla (Guadalajara), had burned nearly 35,000 hectares by Thursday. Fires in Madrid and Ávila prompted the Interior Ministry to declare an emergency of national interest. Dozens of thousands of people in affected areas were facing a very difficult situation, Feijóo noted.