Energy: Macron asks Germany for European “solidarity”.

French President Emmanuel Macron called on Germany to show European “solidarity” amid soaring energy prices, warning against the “distortions” of competition that Germany’s plan to support households and businesses could lead to.

“We cannot promote national policies because that would create distortions (of competition) on the European continent,” he said in an interview with French newspaper Les Echos.

“Our Europe, as during the crisis of the new coronavirus pandemic, is facing the moment of truth (…). We must act with unity and solidarity,” he argued.

Olaf Solz’s government, which has been accused of acting unilaterally by pushing through a €200 billion national support plan to protect households and businesses, is under pressure from several of its EU partners to accept more financial solidarity.

“Germany is in a moment of paradigm shift, the destabilizing nature of which should not be underestimated,” Mr Macron warned.

“To be consistent, these are not national strategies that we must adopt, but a European strategy”, he added.

However, the head of the French state said he was convinced of “the strength of the Franco-German duo and our ability to draw up an ambitious strategy together”.

Leaders of the 27 will try at their summit on Thursday and Friday (October 20-21) in Brussels to shape a common response to the flare-up in energy prices fueled by the war in Ukraine.

“There is European solidarity towards Germany and the normal thing is for Germany to have solidarity towards Europe,” the French president insisted.

RES-EMP

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