Energy, we cannot wait. Italy asks that the heads of state and government meet in July to address, in an extraordinary summit, the sole issue of energy, which was not dealt with in depth at the European Council underway in Brussels. A request made by Mario Draghi, which appears to be supported “by other countries including France”, insiders assure. It was with the French president that the Prime Minister had a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit underway in Brussels, to discuss the issues of the European political agenda. So the proposal not to wait any longer for October, as instead foreseen by the organization of the works at the level of Twenty-seven, to discuss the rise in energy prices, the risk of cutting gas supplies apart from Moscow and hopefully mechanisms that can also reduce the energy price.
In the draft conclusions of the current summit, Italy has already obtained a reference to the acceleration of the definition of a “price cap” mechanism, that is to say the setting of a maximum price cap. But it seems to be no longer enough. After all, “the situation has changed”, confirm European sources. Other countries, including Germany, realize that Gazprom has already started to turn off the taps.
Any decision will be made by Charles Michel, the president of the European Council. It is his task and his responsibility to convene the leaders, and in the coming days it will be understood how much the extraordinary summit in July can actually be called, after the usual telephone calls in the capitals and the monitoring of the situation. A situation that according to the Italian head of government is already such as to require decisions “urgently” to address an energy crisis that is in any case felt around the table of leaders.
“It is very likely that Russia will use energy and gas to blackmail Europe,” admitted the Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, a socialist, on his arrival to participate in the work of the summit of leaders. A concern also shared by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg. “The Russians can close” the gas taps “yes, they can”, acknowledged Xavier Bettel, a liberal, who was also echoed by the Latvian Prime Minister, Krisjanis Karins. “Russia is putting pressure on us with food and energy, but we have to resist this, and find ways to do it all together.”
Draghi intercepts the fears of the partners, however not too hidden. The European center-right presented itself at the Brussels meeting in the name of mobilization. «We are in an emergency situation, it is evident. Because we have a strong dependence on Russia ». Words of Mandred Weber, president of the European People’s Party (EPP), expressed by the heads of state and government of Romania, Latvia, Greece and Croatia, uttered on the occasion of the traditional meeting preceding the meetings of the leaders of the Twenty-seven.