In a context of energy crisis linked to the reduction of European supplies of Russian gas, Emmanuel Macron will meet on Monday afternoon by videoconference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Their exchange, scheduled for 3:00 p.m., “will focus on the energy situation in Europe and on the actions already carried out, both at national and European level, to preserve security of supply, act on electricity prices and maintain full solidarity between the Member States”. will address additional measures that can be taken to protect households and businesses,” the French presidency said.
Emmanuel Macron chaired a defense council Friday on ways to avoid forced gas and electricity cuts this winter. France will be able to “avoid restrictive measures” thanks to “sobriety and European solidarity”, in particular with exchanges with Spain and Germany, said Agnès Pannier-Runacher, minister for energy transition, after the meeting.
France has “important exchanges of gas and electricity with these two countries, and we have concluded that this reciprocal solidarity will have to be reinforced starting this winter,” he specified.
Meeting of European energy ministers
EU energy ministers will meet again on September 9 to discuss the situation in an extraordinary meeting. The European Commission proposes capping part of wholesale electricity prices, adopting regulated rates for the most vulnerable and reinforcing incentives to reduce consumption, according to a draft consulted by AFP.
The European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, assured this Saturday that the European Union is “well prepared” in the event of a total stoppage of Russian gas deliveries, thanks to energy storage and saving measures.
For its part, the German government announced on Sunday that it would release 65,000 million euros in favor of purchasing power in the face of the energy crisis. After laborious negotiations within the coalition, he also plans to use windfall profits from energy companies, which the French government does not currently provide.
The Russian giant Gazprom announced on Friday the total closure of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, which connects Russia with northern Germany, until the repair of a turbine in this vital gas pipeline for the supply of Europeans. It was originally scheduled to resume service this weekend after another three-day break for maintenance operations.
Source: BFM TV
