European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday unveiled a €10 billion ($11 billion) aid package for European Union member states grappling with the devastating aftermath of Storm Boris. The storm, which hit central and eastern Europe last week, has resulted in significant destruction and a rising death toll that now stands at 24, with some regions still facing the threat of further flooding.
Speaking from the Polish city of Wroclaw alongside leaders from four affected countries, von der Leyen expressed deep sorrow over the “heartbreaking” impact of the storm. She emphasized that the EU would draw from two primary sources — the cohesion funds and the solidarity fund — to provide financial assistance for rebuilding and recovery efforts. Uniquely, the EU will cover the full cost without requiring the usual co-financing from member states, ensuring that the funding will be “100 percent European money.”
The storm’s intense winds and torrential rains claimed lives across several nations, including five in Austria, seven in Poland, seven in Romania, and five in the Czech Republic. In many areas, the damage was severe. “In some places, the water literally destroyed everything. The landscape now looks like the aftermath of a war, rather than just a flood,” said Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak during the press conference.
The meeting in Wroclaw, a city of 670,000 people in southwest Poland that had previously suffered severe flooding in 1997, was attended by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, and von der Leyen. As floodwaters reached their peak on Thursday, residents of Wroclaw had grown increasingly concerned about the rising levels.
