Le Pen Wants France Out of EU Energy Market
France should withdraw from the European energy market as it is much less dependent on Russian oil and gas than other EU countries, Marine Le Pen, a French presidential candidate and leader of the right-wing National Rally party, said on Tuesday
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th April, 2022) France should withdraw from the European energy market as it is much less dependent on Russian oil and gas than other EU countries, Marine Le Pen, a French presidential candidate and leader of the right-wing National Rally party, said on Tuesday.
"Europe is much more dependent on Russian oil and gas than France. And it is the European market that sets the price for energy. Therefore, I believe that we need to leave the European energy market," Le Pen told the France Inter radio station.
Following the start of the Russian operation in Ukraine, the EU vowed to speed up decreasing its dependence on Russian energy.
Several packages of sanctions were imposed on Moscow, but none hurt its energy sector.
EU countries spent 35 billion Euros ($38 billion) on Russian energy and only 1 billion euros on aid to Ukraine since the start of hostilities, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said last week.
On Sunday, France held the first round of the presidential election. Incumbent President Emmanuel Macron garnered 27.84% of the vote and Le Pen gained 23.15%, which means they will face one another in the second round on April 24.