Greek citizens blame EU policies for high energy prices

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Greek citizens report a change in their cost of living due to the energy crisis facing the European Union.

Greek citizens accuse the European Union of mismanaging its energy policy

Greek citizens living on the island of Crete are concerned about high energy prices while accusing the European Union of mismanaging its energy policy, which has led to the current situation, Sputnik reported.

Since 2021, energy prices in EU countries have been rising as part of a global trend. After the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022 and the adoption of several anti-Russian sanctions packages by the EU, energy prices have accelerated their growth, putting energy security at the top of global and national agendas and prompting many European governments to resort to various emergency measures.

In late December, the EU adopted a gas market correction mechanism with a floating price cap after member states agreed on a cap price of 180 euros ($191) per megawatt-hour (MWh).

Manolis, a 67-year-old pensioner and air force veteran, has seen a significant drop in his pension which used to be as high as 1,300 euros per month but is now only 700 euros, of which almost the half is used to pay electricity bills.

“Now it’s winter and I’m using electricity more for warmth because I’m using electric heating panels in my house and I don’t even want to think about what the bills will be like at the end of the winter. winter, I think I will have to make a special arrangement with the electricity supplier to pay them in instalments to reimburse them for what I will burn this winter, so I will already be in debt for next winter for my heating budget and next winter will be even worse,” Manolis told Sputnik.

Likewise, Nikos, a 32-year-old lawyer from Crete, said he was already paying twice as much for heating as at the same time last year, even though he hadn’t turned on the heating much due to the mildness of winter.

According to Nikos, “the EU should not impose price caps or embargoes on Russian energy products, the EU should not use energy in politics”.

“Europe is becoming the Third World of the West”

Asked about the reasons for the current situation, Nikos pointed to what he described as the EU’s “terrible” and “horrible” handling of energy security.

“I cannot accept as a European citizen that we buy fossil fuels and in particular LNG at this stage at a price 5 or 7 times higher than the current average market price, from suppliers who are allies of long-standing and partners of the EU,” he said.

“This goes beyond politics, it is macro-financial suicide for Europe, and selling LNG in times of crisis with such a massive price mark-up can even be seen as a hostile act, especially by an ally,” said Nikos. .

For his part, Manolis indicated that “Europe must be realistic and seek suppliers capable of supplying the energy necessary for the winter”.

“In general, it is not accepted that the EU, with its global influence, cannot ensure the energy security of its citizens and asks its citizens to wear more sweaters to face the cold,” he said. he told Sputnik.

According to Manolis, “Europe is becoming the Third World of the Western world lately”.

It should be noted that at the beginning of November, public transport in Athens was severely disrupted and TV and radio news was interrupted after trade unions called for a general strike to protest against the rise in prices resulting devastating inflation and war in Ukraine.

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