Le Pen speaks out against French gas supplies to Germany

MOSCOW, Sep 22 — PRIME. France should not supply gas to Germany while French enterprises are forced to cut production due to energy shortages and rising energy costs, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party, said.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Germany has a need for gas and France for electricity, noting that European solidarity will play a big role in ensuring energy security in Europe this winter and that France will complete the construction of the necessary communications for Germany’s gas supplies. in the coming weeks. According to media reports, deliveries of “blue fuel” from France to Germany may begin as early as October 10.

“I indicated to the prime minister that I would be as hard as I could be against selling gas to Germany in a situation where we were likely to ask French businesses to reduce gas consumption – which I think is a real risk,” Le Pen said in a statement. aired on BFMTV following a meeting with Prime Minister Elisabeth Bourne on Thursday.

The government, she stressed, should first of all take care of the protection of its citizens, and not of “European solidarity.”

On Wednesday, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he had asked the European Commission to double the amount of financial assistance to businesses amid a sharp rise in energy prices. Some French companies, including two major glass makers Duralex and Arc, have said they have already reduced production volumes and placed a number of employees on part-time jobs. France’s largest aluminum smelter, Aluminum Dunkerque, said in early September that it would cut production by about 20% due to rising electricity prices.

This summer, the French authorities launched an “energy sobriety” program to reduce electricity consumption by ten percent to avoid shortages this coming winter. The government called on businesses and transport companies to submit specific plans to reduce energy consumption.