Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) has warned not to go it alone in the fight against high energy prices. “We have to lower energy costs, we have to lower them collectively, we cannot solve this nationally,” Nehammer said on Thursday on the sidelines of the first meeting of the “European Political Community” in Prague. The aim is to jointly purchase cheap gas and make it available to electricity producers.
You should also include large member states such as Germany, according to Nehammer. At the same time, he argues for a definition of a gas price ceiling for the European Union. “What do we mean by that, what should it be able to achieve, how will it be implemented?” asked the chancellor. There are currently many ideas for a gas price ceiling on the table. One of these concerns, for example, imports. “We must come to an agreement here,” demanded the chancellor.
Nehammer welcomes “Iberian model”
He showed understanding for the German aid package of 200 billion euros: “If the European Commission and the European Union don’t do it, then we have to do it,” said the chancellor. Critics fear that this package will lead to distortions of competition. Nehammer welcomed the “Iberian model” introduced by Spain and Portugal, in which states subsidize the purchase of gas for power plants, thereby lowering electricity prices for consumers. In addition, there is a kind of decoupling of electricity and gas prices.
The 27 heads of state or government will meet in Prague tomorrow, Friday, to discuss measures to combat high energy prices. No concrete decisions are expected. Nehammer does not believe that the new set-up of the “European Political Community” will delay the Western Balkans’ rapprochement with the EU. “The opposite is the case,” he said. Instead, you need such formats to allow a connection to the value system and to the economy.
Progress can only be made through negotiation
Nehammer warned against too high expectations in this regard. As in the case of Serbia and Kosovo, progress cannot be forced, only through negotiations. Serbia is also “currently in a vice” between Russia and the West, which are demanding the implementation of sanctions against Moscow. The platform can also help with this.
Source: Krone
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