9
Nov
2022
Watch
Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 20-21 October 2022 (debate)
Mr President, President Charles Michel, as the anguish of the end of the month and the worry of winter take root all over Europe, the latest European summit seems to ignore the urgency of it. Indeed, no action could be taken to support both our businesses and families facing an unprecedented energy crisis. In France, so far, and despite promises of unfulfilled reforms, President Macron has been subject to the absurd rules of the European electricity market – these European rules, which lead to electricity prices being indexed to gas prices, have left us at the mercy of the speculative price explosion following the war in Ukraine. France, which derives no benefit from the operation of this straitjacket, is doing well, albeit weakened, thanks to its nuclear production. We can easily say that, without this European market, we would have been partly protected from the great geopolitical movements of the world. It is therefore urgent to get out of it, or, failing that, to introduce derogations on the model of those obtained by Portugal and Spain, which thus have electricity prices on average three times lower than ours. Over time, tax leverage must be used by reducing VAT on energy, as Germany or Poland have done. Unfortunately, President Macron stubbornly refuses to do so. The risk of leading Europe towards industrial desertification, with a loss of jobs and know-how, is real in the coming months. Act now, for when the factories have closed, it will be too late.