Robert Abela Warns EU Deprioritising Citizens’ Needs And Calls Gas Demand Reduction Plans ‘Surreal’
Prime Minister Robert Abela has warned that the needs of European citizens are not always being safeguarded in top-level EU discussions about the fallout of the Ukraine war.
“In every European Council meeting I have attended, my message has always been to protect EU values but ask whether we doing enough to safeguard the needs of citizens,” Abela said during an interview on ONE Radio this afternoon.
“Sometimes I feel doubt and I ask myself whether other priorities are being prioritised over the needs of citizens. Sometimes I suspect that people’s priorities are being placed secondary. I will keep on passing the message that people’s needs must come first.”
“Unfortunately, pressures are continuously escalating and are expected to escalate further in the coming weeks; our duty as leaders is to prioritise peace.”
Russia is using gas as a weapon.
We have to address our energy security at EU level.
We learnt from the pandemic that if we act in unity, we can address any crisis.
So let’s act together to reduce gas use and provide a safety net for all EU countries. https://t.co/Or53o1Acer
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 20, 2022
Abela admitted he felt “a shiver” when he read the European Commission’s new emergency plans for EU member states to reduce their gas demand amid fears that Russia could cut off deliveries.
The emergency plan proposes that member states voluntarily reduce consumption by 15% between August and April and gives the EC the power to push an ‘emergency button’ that will make gas demand reduction mandatory.
“This is a surreal situation, which makes it even more crucial for the government to continue intervening aggressively to help people,” Abela said, as he hailed his predecessor Joseph Muscat’s decision to construct the Electrons power station, which runs on LNG provided by Azerbaijan’s state oil company Socar, which acts as a middleman, purchasing LNG from Shell and selling it to Electrogas.
“Had we not taken the wise and strategic decision to invest in our energy infrastructure post-2013, the consequences would have been catastrophic.”
Cover photo: Prime Minister Robert Abela with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
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