The Russian invasion of Ukraine changed the dynamic of the French campaign of energy crisis for president: all contenders paused to remark on the announcement of Europe’s all-out war. France’s response to Russia has always been an important aspect of the campaign, which, unlike past campaigns, has emphasized international affairs, resulting in a clear difference between contenders. After the intensifying confrontation pushed all contenders to explain their stances, they know all oppose the incursion but they dispute who is to blame. Their opening statements on the subject signal how the discussion may progress in the following weeks. France urged “those who can,” notably enterprises and public institutions, to preserve power and gas. Despite the fact that nuclear power stations provide over 70% of the country’s electricity, natural gas is used to heat houses and supplement energy supplies during peak usage. In an interview with FranceInfo on March 29, energy expert Thierry Bros cautioned that Putin might shut off the country’s supply of gas “at any time,” and that the country should be prepared. Now, France’s electric grid manager has asked the French public to reduce their electric consumption because of an incoming cold front, as reported by Bloomberg
In light of the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, the French corporation Total announced in a statement that it will “gradually stop its operations in Russia.” It emphasized the “availability of alternate sources of oil supply for Europe.” Total stated in its statement that it will maintain “full adherence with existing and future European restrictions, regardless of the effects on the administration of its assets in Russia.” “Unlike oil, it is clear that Europe’s gas logistical capacities make it impossible to avoid buying Russian gas in the next two to three years without affecting the continent’s supply of energy,” the statement stated. Because of an arriving cold side of things, the country’s power grid manager has asked the French public to lessen their electrical energy consumption earlier this morning. Energy requirements have enhanced so much that the country may not be able to have as much power as it requires, notwithstanding the importing nearly 11,000 megawatts from other regions of the world.
Furthermore, US Vice President Joe Biden announced that in coordination with the G7 group of affluent nations, Washington will suspend Russia’s “continuous regular business connections” title, also known as most-favored state prestige, to penalize President Vladimir Putin for his incursion on Ukraine. “The civilized world is united to face Putin,” Biden declared. Dealing with public outrage and concerns about the implications on the macroeconomic conditions, authorities have turned to subsidizing energy bills for those who are struggling economically. France has unveiled plans to deploy reimbursements to homes that use natural gas to heat in order to neutralize increases in prices.
