French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday urged Germany to show European “solidarity” in the face of rising energy prices, warning that Germany’s massive plan to help its own consumers would involve potential “distortions”
“We cannot stick with national policies because that creates distortions on the European continent,” Macron said in an interview with French newspaper Les Echos, to be published on Monday.
“As happened during the Covid-19 crisis, this is the moment of truth for our Europe (…) We must act with unity and solidarity”, he urged.
The German government of Olaf Scholz has been accused of acting alone with its €200 billion support plan to protect his country’s homes and businesses, and is under pressure from several EU partners to show more financial solidarity.
“If we want to be consistent, it is not national strategies that must be adopted, but a European strategy,” Macron urged.
However, Macron said he was confident “in the strength of the Franco-German relationship” and in their “joint ability to carry out an ambitious strategy”.
During a summit to be held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, European Union leaders will try to come up with a common response to rising energy prices caused by the war in Ukraine.
“There is European solidarity with Germany and it is normal that there is solidarity between Germany and Europe!” insisted the French president.
