The upcoming meeting of EU leaders is in jeopardy due to the outbreak of conflict between France and Germany. This is reported by the newspaper Politico.
At a meeting in Brussels, it is planned to discuss the bloc’s economic competitiveness and support for Ukraine, but the “scandal” may affect the course of negotiations.
According to the resource on March 20, Germany, together with a small group of allies, had previously blocked the EU decision to ban sales of cars with traditional engines by 2035, as this would benefit the German auto industry. At the same time, Berlin insists on the exclusion of a synthetic alternative to fossil fuels, but this request has already been rejected twice in the European Parliament.
In turn, France announced its desire to achieve the inclusion of nuclear energy in the list of “clean” technologies of the EU, which provoked indignation on the part of Germany. The publication added that Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s pressure on the European Commission “especially angered Paris.”
On November 21, it was reported that Europe is on the verge of a new trade war due to the US inflation reduction law, which provides for tax cuts and benefits in the field of energy supply for enterprises opening in the United States of America.
The problem, according to Politico, is that Washington’s project will motivate companies to withdraw investment from Europe and encourage customers to buy American electric vehicles, which “infuriates major European automakers.” In particular, Germany “is in a state of panic” because of rising energy prices, leading German companies curtail domestic production in order to direct investment to other countries.
Prior to this, on November 19, the German magazine Der Spiegel also drew attention to this problem, pointing out that US President Joe Biden’s refusal to allow European manufacturers to participate in the climate change program led to the threat of a trade war between Europe and the United States of America. .
In August, Biden signed a package of measures aimed at reducing inflation in the United States. According to the document, the authorities will allocate $370 billion to clean energy and achieve climate goals.