France, which has so far opposed the project for a new gas pipeline with Spain, is going to examine this possibility because it has been asked to do so by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sanchezand the German chancellor, Olaf Scholzwho are “friends”.
This is the announcement made this Tuesday by the French Minister of Economy, Bruno LeMairewho in statements to the press did not go further when asked after his speech before the summer university of the French employers’ association (Medef) in Paris.
“From the moment in which the President of the Spanish Government and the German Chancellor request itSince our friends ask for it, we examine the demand of our friends, of our partners,” he said.
“Spain and Germany -reiterated Le Maire- are very close partners of Franceso when they make a proposal we look at it.” Both governments reiterated that position in Berlin today.
The French minister also recalled that this infrastructure project “is a very old issue.”
[El dilema de Sánchez: el Midcat con la oposición de Francia o un gasoducto submarino más caro con Italia]
In fact, the two countries worked in the past on the possibility of building a gas pipeline between the two countries through Catalonia (MidCat) which was to be added to the two in the western part, but was abandoned in 2019.
The French Ministry of Energy Transition indicated two weeks ago its strong reluctance to this new gas pipeline, despite the declarations of several European officials in favor of the infrastructure in the context of the situation of historically high energy prices due to the invasion Ukrainian Russian.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today underlined the “full support” from your government to MidCat as a “long-term” solution to European gas supply.
“Supply security is part of national, German and European security,” Scholz said during an appearance with Sánchez, who was invited to participate in the start of the extraordinary two-day German Council of Ministers held in Meseberg, on the outskirts of Berlin.
Add Comment