French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday asked the country to sharply reduce energy consumption in the coming weeks in a bid to avoid rationing and cuts this winter as tensions with Russia remain. Macron called for a 10 percent cut, which included asking French businesses and households to limit their use of heating and air conditioning. However, if these efforts are not sufficient, the French leader warned that forced energy savings may have to be considered. CHINA’S ENERGY EXPORTS RISE, PRINTING SAUDI ARABIA AS BEIJING’S TOP SUPPLIER Emmanuel Macron, president of France, during a press conference after the summit of European Union (EU) leaders in Brussels, Belgium, Thursday, Dec. 16, 2021. ( Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu Agency/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images) Energy budget plans are being prepared “in case” they are needed, Macron told a news conference, adding that “cuts will be made as a last resort.” Speaking after a conference call on Monday with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Macron also announced a plan to boost gas supplies to Germany from France to offset a decline in Russian gas supplies from the east. In return, Macron said Germany would continue to supply France with electricity to cover shortfalls caused by ongoing maintenance at several French nuclear reactors. The leaders spoke ahead of an emergency meeting of European Union energy ministers on Friday about how the continent can coordinate to keep warm this winter if Russia cuts off gas supplies. RUSSIA’S GAZPROM CUTS NATURAL GAS FLOW TO GERMANY A man walks past the Eiffel Tower before a curfew, which begins at 6 p.m., during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak on March 15, 2021 in Paris, France. (Chesnot/Getty Images/Getty Images) This comes shortly after the Group of Seven (G7) pledged to impose a ceiling on the price of Russian oil on Friday to try to limit the country’s revenue and its ability to finance the war in Ukraine while limiting the impact of the war. in energy prices and inflation. However, China opposed the move. GET THE FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE According to Reuters, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday, “Oil is one of the world’s commodities, and it is vital to ensure the security of the world’s energy supply.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.
