Europe wanted to make energy more expensive. And now everyone is surprised that it happened – ODS – Civic Democratic Party

November 1, 2023

CNN Prima News: Europe wanted to make energy more expensive. And now everyone is surprised that it happened

(CNN Prime News) We are surprised that electricity prices are rising in Europe, while this was the goal of emission allowances. Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Jan Skopeček (ODS) said this in the program 360° on CNN Prima NEWS. It is said that only the Czech Republic and Poland wanted to open a discussion about them in the European Union.

You can watch the entire debate with Jan Skopeček on CNN Prima News.

Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Jan Skopeček in the CNN Prima NEWS broadcast, he criticized the green policy of the European Union. “I fear that there will be a gradual exit of the industry. Even the United States is starting to become more competitive. Labor is not that much more expensive there either.” he pointed out Skopek.

Skopeček recalled that the Czech government tried to open the discussion about emission allowances, which significantly increase energy prices. “Do you know who we were able to get into a coalition during the negotiations in the European Union that would discuss this? Poland only. All other countries were willing to continue working with emission allowances. We are actually surprised that our electricity prices are rising in Europe, but that was the desired goal of those policies and emission allowances,” stated Skopek and he added that it was also about making fossil fuel energy more expensive so that people and companies would consume less of it. “It’s just a small mistake that we haven’t been able to replace traditional fossil resources with competitive and cheap resources yet,” he stated Skopek.

According to Skopeček, the idea that energy will be dramatically cheaper in Europe or that the Czech Republic will become an island on the continent where, unlike its surroundings, the price will fall is illusory. “It will not happen. Rather, I wonder where we went wrong and whether it is rational to run towards a green transition and a zero-emission economy as quickly as Europe has committed itself to.” he communicated Skopek.

The Energy Regulatory Office’s proposal for the growth of the regulated component of energy is described by some experts as an assassination attempt on Czech industry and households. The government promises to increase prices by a maximum of one percent, but economists warn that electricity and gas will become more expensive for people. Skopeček disagrees with that. “The CEO of ČEZ talked about the fact that the vast majority of clients who do not have a fixed tariff will be affected by one to two percent, that is roughly 40% of clients. So the biggest part of the company will face a one to two percent price increase. I don’t think it will be dramatically different for other competing firms.” he pondered Skopek.

According to him, a dramatic increase can only be experienced by those who have been fixed since before the energy crisis. “At that time, energy prices were diametrically lower. But unlike people who faced price increases last year, they were spared a number of months with the fix, so there’s no tragedy in that sense.” concluded Skopek.