MEPs debate high energy prices, rule of law, migration ahead of EU summit
Parliament calls on European Council to tackle the energy price crisis and deal with rule-of-law offenders at its 21-22 October summit meeting.
In a debate on Wednesday with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar, representing the Slovenian presidency of the Council, most MEPs pushed for a united approach to ease the pressure of spiking energy prices on European households and businesses. They said that integrating renewables into Europe’s energy mix is the way forward, while lowering the continent’s energy dependence and helping to advance EU climate action at the same time.
Several speakers welcomed the eventual inclusion of migration on the summit agenda, expecting EU countries to find a responsible solution based on the principles of solidarity and humanity. Some, in turn, lauded the approach of Council to consider protection of the external borders to be the highest priority.
Referring to Tuesday’s plenary debate with the Polish Prime Minister, most speakers demanded heads of state or government take a clear political direction on the issue of respect for the rule of law, by giving impetus to the log jammed Article 7 procedures and defending the rule of law in Poland and elsewhere.
