Joint front Athens, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon on the energy crisis

LAST UPDATE: 15:30

Of Dimitris Gatsiou

Athens, Rome, Madrid and Lisbon are creating a common front, with the aim of adopting measures to support consumers and businesses affected by the energy crisis.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mario Draghi, Pedro Sanchez and Antonio Costa discussed in detail, in view of the Summit of the “27” leaders on March 24 and 25, with the Greek Prime Minister talking about the common conviction of the four leaders that addressing such a challenge especially in the most vulnerable strata and in business, it also requires a common European response.

“Actions that will protect our societies at least until the end of the war and the normalization of the functioning of the markets as no country can fully and effectively deal with such a crisis… We agreed that the solutions can not be only national… Yesterday we announced an additional package to bring the total amount of aid that has been on the front line since the autumn to 4 billion, but I will repeat that national initiatives are not enough and that is why we are proposing harmonized European intervention policies in the first place. in speculative trends, in order to restore the balance in the prices of natural gas but also of electricity… “, stressed, in his statements, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. “Markets must follow the rules of supply and demand, and when markets become the target of speculators, then it is time for a central regulation and a central intervention. And that is the responsibility of the leadership… I am sure that in the next “We must not just realize the urgency of the circumstances, but take immediate decisions… To act in favor of Europe and our European fellow citizens…”, he noted.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis σε rang a bell, saying that this energy crisis can rekindle the nightmare of populism in our continent. “We must learn from the mistakes of the past, to intervene drastically and immediately, when European intervention is required,” he said.

At the same time, the Prime Minister announced that the Greek government will undertake, when the hostilities are over and the rehabilitation process begins, to rebuild the Mariupol maternity hospital, which was bombed in recent weeks “as a small practical support to the great reconstruction effort Ukraine does. ”

Sanchez: European answers require European answers

Opening remarks following the four leaders’ meeting in Rome, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi emphasized the need to focus on the need for energy storage, the need to separate electricity prices from gas prices, and to achieve a reduction in the price of gas.

“European answers are needed to European problems,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, adding that immediate action was needed. “Our countries will ask the next European Summit to implement specific initiatives to respond to economic and social needs,” he concluded.

The Prime Ministers of Italy, Spain and Portugal wished their Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis a speedy recovery from the coronavirus.