11 minutes agoMacro: France, Germany to provide each other with gas and electricity
Periskopi(4 years ago)
(4 years ago)France will send gas to Germany if necessary, while Germany is willing to provide this country with electricity, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday, adding that this shows European solidarity in the face of the energy crisis stemming from the war in Ukraine. European gas prices increased as values [...]
European gas prices rose as the euro's value dropped significantly Monday after Russia stopped pumping gas through a major supply line, another warning for the EU as the bloc tries to give a crisis response before the winter comes.
“German needs our gas and we need energy from the rest of Europe, especially Germany”, the French president said at a press conference after a call with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Infrastructural ties, for France to send gas to Germany when necessary, will be finalised in the coming weeks, he said, adding that France, which had long been a net exporter of electricity, would need help from its neighbours because of technical problems at its nuclear power plants.
However, Mr. Macron said he did not understand the demand for a third link to gas transport between France and Spain, rejecting calls to increase capacity with a new pipeline.
He added that he was open to change his mind if Chancellor Scholz or Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez manages to give firm arguments on the issue.
Ahead of a meeting Friday of EU energy ministers, Mr. Macron said France was in favour of buying gas at a European level rather than a national level and called for measures on the part of the European Union to control the price of energy.
He said it is necessary to act against speculation, adding that France was in favour of setting a ceiling on the Russian gas price.
Mr. Macron also repeated calls for everyone not to use air conditioning when it's hot and limit heating to 19 degrees Celsius this winter.
