Watch: We Must Stop Buying Essentials From Our Enemies, Roberta Metsola Insists As Economic Realities Of War Bite
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has urged EU member states to stand firm amidst the economic impact of the Ukraine war and to stop buying essential items from their “enemies”.
Addressing the World Economy Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Metsola admitted that the next stage in the EU’s sanction package against Russia – which would involve clamping down on energy imports – will be harder to push through, given the political and economic realities on the ground.
“This is where different countries and their realities come to the fore because we’re not only facing an electricity and energy crisis but the ripple effect of food shortages and potential migration influxes from the southern Mediterranean,” she said.
“I spend my time addressing national parliaments and these are the discussions that come to the fore. However, at the end of the day, our question should be whether we put a price on democracy and freedom or not.”
@lovinmaltaofficial What do you make of Roberta’s statement? 👀🤔 #lovinmalta #malta #fyp #europeanparliament #robertametsola ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta
“If we say that democracy and freedom are priceless, then we must completely uncouple ourselves from buying what we need for our families to live from our foes and enemies.”
“We have spent a decade talking about the Energy Union and telling countries its impossible for them to be 100% reliant on Russian gas. As for the inverse – how many countries have been comfortable relying on Russian gas because it was cheaper, because it was too difficult to discuss with their neighbouring member states or because there were other priorities?”
Metsola said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine should serve as a “wake-up call” to the EU to fight for the bloc’s values and push renewable energy projects forward.
“Our green agenda has been catapulted forward and [the war] was a catalyst that wasn’t there a few months ago. Energy has always been political and our environmental goals must go hand in hand with our security goals.”
“I think that if we look at this background and our final aim is zero dependence on Russia… then we can keep holding the unity that we’ve held so far.”
The WEF’s annual Davos meeting is one of the most high-profile global economic forums, and this year’s session, in particular, has been described as the most consequential meeting in its 50-year history.
Besides the war in Ukraine, the world is also seeking to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grapple with the realities of climate change.
Metsola was part of a discussion panel which also included Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Latvia President Egils Levits.
Cover photo: Left: European Parliament President Roberta Metsola addresses the WEF forum in Davos, Right: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: Kremlin)
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
What do you think of Europe’s reaction to the war in Ukraine?
READ NEXT: New EU Fund To Help Poorer People Cope With Costs Of Green Energy Transition Moves Step Closer To Reality
