You Live In Ivory Towers, PL Deputy Leader Accuses EU Leaders Over Cost Of Living Crisis
Labour deputy leader Daniel Micallef has accused the European Union’s leadership of not being in touch with people’s daily struggles through the cost of living crisis and warned the entire EU project could ultimately suffer the brunt of public anger.
Micallef spoke out after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged EU countries to cut their gas consumption levels by 15% as part of a strategy to end the continent’s dependency on Russian gas.
Von der Leyen said the EU is diversifying its energy suppliers at “lightning speed”, speeding up its transition to green energy sources and working on an emergency intervention and a structural reform of the electricity market to address its limitations and reduce skyrocketing prices.
“We are doing this for Ukraine. We are doing this for European values,” she said.
However, Micallef wasn’t impressed.
“As winter approaches and we hear predictions of people dying of cold in Europe, these statements make it more obvious that the European leadership is living in an ivory tower,” he said.
“It seems as though the race for selfies is over. The war is hardly ever in the news anymore. Still, its effects are on everyone’s mouths as they are hitting people, particularly vulnerable people, where it hurts. This is over and above the death of innocent people that wars always bring about.”
“It’s a shame that the European project will eventually be blamed for this. Now we will witness the false astonishment when the fertile land sown for the extreme right in Europe starts bearing more fruit. I hope I am mistaken.”
Energy prices have risen sharply in recent months after the war in Ukraine disrupted supplies from Russia, which had until recently provided the EU with around 40% of its gas.
Electricity and fuel prices have soared across the continent, and while Malta has been shielded due to significant government intervention, it hasn’t been spared the effects of food inflation.
Micallef has been critical of the EU’s sanction regime against Russia, warning last July that sanctions only cause suffering to regular people.
Cover photo: Left: PL deputy leader Daniel Micallef, Right: European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen with Slovenian President Borut Pahor at the Bled Strategic Forum (Photo: European Commission)
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