The economy minister considers the lack of an internal energy market in the European Union a “major strategic mistake” and says “reality” prevails in speeches such as the French resistance to the gas pipeline in the Pyrenees.
“To have a resilient Union, it is necessary to create an internal energy market, to make the interconnections [para transporte de energia] and diversify sources of supply. If it had happened sooner, Europe would not be in this situation. It’s a big strategic mistake.”António Costa Silva told the Spanish newspaper El País at the end of September, in an interview published Monday.
Regarding the obstacles that the French government is creating for a new gas pipeline in the Pyrenees, in order to connect the Iberian energy market with other EU countries and thus reduce Europe’s dependence on Russian gas, the Portuguese minister emphasized that France has so far ” was a country that exported energy,” which did not happen this year due to unexpected shutdowns of nuclear power plants, hit by drought and lack of water for cooling.
“Europe must show solidarity and at the moment they are also importing energy,” Costa Silva told El País, adding, in connection with the French refusal to build a new gas pipeline in the Pyrenees, that “people speeches, but then reality sets in.”
Costa Silva said he was not “alarmed” about the foreseeable future, but believed that one “cannot underestimate the magnitude of human stupidity”, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine, following a Russian attack, and admitted that “the middle of winter is very likely that Putin [o Presidente da Rússia] completely cancel gas exports to Europe”.
“If he does that, we’ll have a convulsion in the energy markets. That’s why we need to have an answer, which also involves the Iberian Peninsula.” […] The peninsula works as an energy island and therefore, now more than ever, and we are trying to do that together with Spain, we are defending interconnections before European bodies, not only for natural gas, but also for, further on, green hydrogen and renewable energy” , he said.
Costa Silva added that talks are “in short term” with Germany, Poland and the Baltic states about the possibility of turning the deep-water port of Sines “into a receiving pool for liquefied natural gas”. “, where “Transshipments are made from large to smaller ships to Northern Europe.”
“This could serve to cover some of Germany’s needs and could be available in a few months,” he said.
Regarding the Portuguese economy, Costa Silva said that “there could be an economic slowdown” and that, given the crisis and the need for support for families and businesses, he “defends the continuity of the policy of correct accounts and fiscal consolidation because the country cannot forget the lessons of the past”.
Asked about corporate tax, he replied: “I will not comment further. I have already expressed my position. I think there is no difference of opinion [com o ministro das Finanças, Fernando Medina]. My concern is with the economy. We need to reconcile effective economic policies with balanced fiscal policies.”
Source: DN
