Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob urged MEPs on Tuesday 13 December to put in place a favourable framework for the energy transition so that the European Union becomes a 100% renewable energy producer within 10 to 15 years.
With the wind from northern Europe, the sun from the south, add hydrogen and some storage, “this is a vision that is achievable and we owe it to our children”, Mr Golob said in an impromptu speech in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In his view, this energy transition, which must involve accelerating granting permits for renewable energies and constructing interconnections, tackles three challenges simultaneously: Europe’s strategic autonomy, the mitigation of climate disruption and the reduction of energy prices.
Referring to his experience of running a company that started from nothing and became Slovenia’s largest electricity supplier with a turnover of “€3 billion”, Mr Golob said it was crucial to act decisively to tackle soaring energy prices. Criticising the European Commission’s initial proposal on gas price capping, while the Energy Council was considering the issue in Brussels, he called for regulatory changes to reduce the volatility and speculation exploited by traders.
“I made a living doing that, so I know what I am talking about”, he noted.
Rule of law. Mr Golob explained that he became involved in politics because he refused to see the rule of law and media freedom undermined in his country in recent years under the previous Janša government (see EUROPE 12781/3).
“The rule of law cannot be negotiated, but enforced. That’s our responsibility”, he said, calling for stronger European action against hate campaigns instigated by political forces that aim to keep honest people out of politics.
Enlargement. On Ukraine, he said the EU has assumed its responsibilities through bold decisions, including granting candidate country status to this country which is facing armed aggression from Russia.
Mr Golob stressed the “essential” role of the enlargement process in changing a country and a population, taking his young country as an example. He therefore supported granting EU candidate country status to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a process that has dragged on for 20 years, as the General Affairs Council was called upon to take a decision on the matter (see other news).
For Golob, it is indeed crucial to offer prospects to the Balkan countries that are facing “propaganda that aims to undermine the unity of Europe”. Such prospects ensure “stability in the region and unity in our support for Ukraine”, he added. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)