No EU member state can deal with the energy crisis alone, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, adding that he was looking forward to the Commission’s next move, which has good “tools” in its hands.
Welcoming Commissioner Simson at the Maximos Palace, Mr. Mitsotakis said: “You are coming to a very interesting moment. I look forward to our discussion. Yesterday I was in Western Macedonia to launch the largest photovoltaic in SE Europe. It was built in 20 months. It is a sign of our commitment to make the ‘green’ transition a reality and take full advantage of the sun. But it is a project of the future. I am very concerned about the present. With the Russian invasion we are all witnessing – you know it well – an unprecedented instability and increases in gas prices. The comparison between the prices of natural gas and the prices of electricity causes significant suffering in Europe but also here in Greece. We have largely subsidized households and businesses with resources from EU and national resources. But it is clear that we can not deal with this crisis alone. I want to tell you that it is crucial that you look at all the possible options to see how we can tackle this problem at European level.”
I was allowed to transition at 18 without question – but I regretted it
The Prime Minister reiterated that especially for gas prices, they do not reflect supplies. “I think all the options have to be put on the table and we have to find a way to quickly ‘break’ the link between gas prices and electricity prices”.
“I look forward to the Commission’s next moves. It has a good ‘toolbox’ for the Member States. Because no member state can face this crisis. Certainly not a country like Greece…. We are still suffering from the ‘legacy’ left to us by the 10-year crisis.”
Mr. Mitsotakis noted the many potentials that Greece has either as a power in RES, or as an import point for natural gas, or through pipelines (EastMed), or in the short term through the LNG.
