BRUSSELS:Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain’s investment in renewable energy had helped the country protect households and businesses from high energy prices, urging European leaders to strengthen energy autonomy and competitiveness as geopolitical conflicts continue to unsettle markets.
“Europe has been transitioning towards sovereignty thanks to renewable energies, so prices are lower in Spain than on average in EU,” Sánchez said ahead of the European Council discussions in Brussels.
The Global Envoy‘s Rohan Dua was present at EU Council’s two-day Oct 15-16 summit in Brussels.
He added that Spain had been “the country that has protected its businesses and citizens the most”.
Energy prices are among the leading concerns for European citizens, Sánchez said, while high costs are also weighing on businesses and industry across the bloc.
The Spanish prime minister argued that Europe must respond to the immediate pressure on prices while continuing to invest in the energy transition and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels.
Energy autonomy and competitiveness
Sánchez said Europe needed to be ambitious in responding to the challenges facing its economy, with investment in renewable energy and digital transformation among the priorities.
His remarks come as EU leaders discuss how to protect industrial competitiveness while reducing the bloc’s exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets.
Spain’s position is that renewable energy can help address both objectives: improving energy autonomy while easing the pressure of price fluctuations on households and businesses.
Sánchez also called for a more ambitious EU budget to support the bloc’s future challenges, including climate change, energy and digital independence.
The debate over the next Multiannual Financial Framework will determine how much funding the EU can direct towards these priorities, alongside traditional spending on agriculture and cohesion.
For Sánchez, the direction of travel is clear: Europe must protect its citizens and businesses from immediate energy pressures while investing in the resources it can generate domestically.
