France's Macron opposes new Iberian gas pipeline

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French President Emmanuel Macron said his government does not support the idea of building a new pipeline to pump natural gas between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe despite the continent's energy crisis.

During the war in Ukraine, European Union countries have struggled to find common ground on how to wean the bloc off its reliance on Russian gas. Spain is pushing to build another, larger gas pipeline to France, a plan that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his support for on Wednesday.

Macron said ahead of a Thursday meeting of European countries in Prague that existing pipelines between Spain and France were only being used at 50% to 60% of their capacity at the moment.

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"What does Europe need in the coming years? To produce more electricity on its soil and have a renewable and nuclear (energy) strategy," the French leader said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, pictured here speaking with press in Prague, Czech Republic, on Oct 6, 2022, has announced that France does not support a new pipeline that would pump gas from Iberia into the rest of Europe. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

The new pipeline would need five to eight years to be built, Macron said, suggesting that France does not want to be importing large quantities of gas in the long term.

"I think our priority is rather to get more electricity interconnection in Europe, so I'm more in favor of these projects," he said.

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Last month, Portugal’s prime minister said European authorities were considering a liquefied natural gas pipeline from Spain to Italy as a way of getting around France’s opposition.