I don’t see any possibility in the fuel offer this year, only in costs, claims former electrical power commissioner Andris Piebalgs, admitting that extremely minimal has been performed to minimize dependence on Russia. On joining the bash and on the very first lender collapse, on operate in the European Commission and on gas costs, conversation with Andri Piebalga, politician, diolomat, previous European Union commissioner, former teacher in Valmiera At the crossroads of an period.
He has had an spectacular profession in Latvian diplomacy and foreign plan. Even ahead of independence, during the Soviet yrs, Andris Piebalgs was a trainer and also director of the communist large university of the 11 heroes of Valmiera. He has given Soviet propaganda lectures on USSR-US relations both at the neighborhood design council in Valmiera and at the poultry manufacturing facility.
When Latvia regained its independence, he became Minister of Education and learning and Finance, then Ambassador to Estonia and the European Union and, in accordance to a lot of, an superb voice of Latvia in Europe. He acquired recognition as European Human being of the 12 months in Latvia. He was the EU’s power commissioner just about 20 many years back, when Russia initially commenced blackmailing Europe with gasoline materials. Now in 2005, as Commissioner of Brussels, he had warned the Latvian governing administration that we can not sit on the gas needle of “Gazprom”.
Will Latvia and Europe be able to avoid Putin’s program this winter season: to make Europeans “really feel the cold of Siberia” in their apartments?
“I don’t see any threat this winter season, the significant danger is upcoming wintertime. Fuel deposits in Europe are fairly complete, there is more than enough liquefied gas, gas source from Norway has enhanced, additional is coming from Azerbaijan. . It all seems quite fantastic, “suggests Andris Piebalgs.
“But without having the arrival of Russian gasoline, we are pressured to vacant our fuel deposits much more than we really should. The decisive struggle is not with Putin, but whether or not we can preserve.
Simply because the 15%, which some Member States have reluctantly approved, is completely essential. If not, there will be problems future winter season, due to the fact there is no probability of structural change all through the year “.
“You shouldn’t get worried about this winter season, I am considering about provides, the value is one more story. As for the basic dependence on fuel, upcoming yr could be the hardest,” says Andris Piebalgs.
How safe and sound can we be in Latvia pertaining to our gasoline reserves? Andris Piebalgs is certain there will be plenty of gasoline, the only uncertainty is with the mystical situation of “Latvijas’s gaze”.
“The government has to find out who owns the gasoline,” admits Andris Piebalgs.
“I see the threat in selling prices. Prices are exactly where the governing administration is putting fifty percent a billion now, which is a lot, irrespective of whether family members, in particular the poorest, will be capable to shell out is an additional story. It can also develop payment difficulties for the corporations that offer gas are solvable difficulties, they will hit a couple of normal men and women, it will be a headache for the government immediately after the elections “, analyzes Andris Piebalgs.
Piebalgs thinks that we have done minimal to be fewer dependent on Russian gas.
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