Macron recognized the role of Russian gas in the competitiveness of European industry

Russian gas was the basis of the competitiveness of European industry. Its importance was recognized by French President Emmanuel Macron, as quoted by TASS.

Speaking at an economic forum in Madrid, the head of state complained that the available gas from Russia fed Central Europe, which was the production core and pulled the rest of the economy with it, and the EU itself refused to supply it.

“We have a problem with competitiveness and innovation. Europe's competitiveness relied heavily <...> on inexpensive Russian gas, which caused a crisis throughout the continent. We have interrupted these supplies, which were key to the competitiveness of our industry,” he admitted.

Europe is experiencing a new round of energy crisis caused by the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has confirmed the dependence of European countries on fossil fuels. Therefore, Macron called for work to create a single energy market in Europe and advocated fair sharing of the financial burden in large energy projects on the continent.