“Be at the rendezvous of sobriety” to avoid energy rationing. This is Emmanuel Macron’s appeal to the French launched this Monday, September 5. Speaking to the press after a videoconference interview with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on the energy crisis in Europe, the Head of State has asked the French to achieve 10% energy savings. This “energy sobriety can allow us to save 10% of our consumption”, he estimated.
- Air conditioning, heating … Macron calls for “changing behavior”
“We have our destiny in hand,” said the President of the Republic, calling for “changing behaviors” such as “putting the air conditioning a little less strong” and “the heating a little less strong than usual” when ‘it will be cold, citing the temperature of 19 degrees in homes.
“If we know how to save energy everywhere, there will be no rationing and no cuts. There is no fatality,” he continued. “The cut only intervene as a last resort.”
- Macron in favor of support measures for the most modest households
Without giving a timetable, Emmanuel Macron warned that household aid, such as the tariff shield, could not be kept for long.
“We will not be able, for months and months, to have such broad mechanisms that finance the consumption of fossil fuels. The trend will go towards greater targeting of support, that is to say that the we will have to continue to support families, the middle classes and the most modest families who could not resist a rise in prices. We will have to target things”, he explained.
- France prepares to deliver more gas to Germany
Emmanuel Macron also announced that France was committed to delivering more gas to Germany, which could supply it with electricity, if the energy crisis required it this winter. “We are going to finalize the gas connections in order to be able to deliver gas to Germany (…) if there is a need for solidarity” and the latter “will put itself in a position to produce more electricity and from us (in ) bring in peak situations,” said the French president.
- Paris “favorable” to capping the price of Russian gas and to “grouped” purchases of gas in Europe
In addition, the President of the Republic said on Monday “in favor of common gas purchasing practices” in Europe, to buy “cheaper”, as well as capping the price of Russian gas delivered by pipeline. “We are in favor of common gas purchasing practices (…) this would allow Europe by buying together to buy cheaper”, he assured. “If the Commission were to decide to put a ceiling on the price of gas purchased through the gas pipelines from Russia, France will support such a measure”, he added.
- Energy profits: France in favor of a “European contribution mechanism”
The Head of State also delivered France’s position on a possible reform of the wholesale electricity market in Europe, saying he was in favor of mechanisms to reduce prices after the historic records seen this summer.
“We defend a European contribution mechanism (…), which would therefore be requested from energy operators”, declared Emmanuel Macron, while the European Commission is preparing its own reform plan. “This contribution could then be paid back to the States to finance their targeted national measures”, he explained, adding that he also wanted “measures to combat speculative practices”.
- The need for a new Spain-France gas pipeline is “not obvious”
There is “no evidence” of the “need” for a new gas pipeline between France and Spain, also estimated the French president, questioned about the Midcat project, supported by Madrid and Berlin but seen from a wary eye through Paris.
In Europe, “we need more electricity interconnection. I am not convinced that we need more gas interconnection, the consequences of which, in particular on the environment, and in particular on the ecosystem, are more important. (…) There is no evidence of need, there is no evidence today, no evidence tomorrow, there are real difficulties”, declared Emanuel Macron.