‘Going back would not be possible,’ EU executive says
Restarting imports of Russian gas would be impossible under the current EU law that means the final pipeline will have to close next autumn, the European Commission has said in response to comments by German far-right leader Alice Weidel.
The leader of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, buoyed by a commanding lead in opinion polls, told Reuters on Tuesday that “cheap energy from Russia was the secret of the success of ‘Made in Germany'”.
“We need it back,” Weidel said.
But EU legislation calling for a step-by-step phase-out of Russian gas entered into force in March. “This is a law that is in place, so going back would not be possible,” a spokesperson for the Commission told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday.
