PM states that it is time for Europe to deal with soaring energy costs

“The European Council starting today is of critical importance”, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday, adding that “the time has come to deal with the greatest issue of all European societies. I am referring to the high cost of energy, that causes chain reactions, with very high levels of inflation.”

The Greek prime minister said that EU leaders had “after a lot of work, reached a point where we have a package of proposals from the European Commission that moves in the right direction” and expressed the certainty that “even the most reluctant of European Council members” will be convinced to sign off on it. The proposal includes a cap on the natural gas prices at Title Transfer Facility (TTF) level.

“I believe that the European Commission has thought through its proposals, and I would expect that there will be agreement by the end of the Summit, so that we may assign the European Commission with moving ahead with these proposals,” Mitsotakis added.

Mitsotakis made the statements as he arrived in Brussels for the meeting, which follows the informal European Council held in Prague on 7 October. Today’s European Council will discuss Ukraine, energy, economic issues and external relations.

Truss resignation

Responding to other questions, he said he had been informed of British Prime Minister Liz Truss’ resignation but had not read her statements and could not take a stance on the issue, but he underlined that Greece “always supported a productive relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom, and I hope that this political instability afflicting the United Kingdom for a while now finally comes to an end.”