With the continuation of the war on Ukraine, and the lack of light at the end of the tunnel to resolve the crisis through negotiations, the specter of the repercussions of what is happening began to haunt Europe in the field of energy, especially in France.

French President Emmanuel Macron was forced - to go out in a televised interview - to reassure the French that "the situation is under control", after the spread of news that raised the French's fears of continuous interruptions in the supply of electricity this winter.

And the newspaper "Le Monde" reported that Macron said in an interview - broadcast by "TF1" channel - that "there is no need to panic, it does not help anything, and it is not true."


preparations

And the government sent administrative circulars to the governors of the regions urging them to prepare for a scenario of interruptions in the electricity service, and Macron commented on that by saying that it is a normal matter, as it is natural for the government to prepare for the occurrence of difficult scenarios.

And the French President was keen to stress that they are just "imagined scenarios" that must be prepared for, stressing that France can overcome the difficult winter period, especially the months of December and January.

A few days ago, the French and German prime ministers signed an agreement in Berlin on measures that are supposed to allow "mutual support" between the two countries in order to "guarantee energy supplies" at a time when prices are rising.

A joint statement - signed by French Prime Minister Elizabeth Born and German Chancellor Olaf Schultz - said that "concrete measures" had been decided in this direction, especially that France would help Germany by delivering gas to it, while Paris would support Berlin to "secure electricity supplies."


importing country

France became a net importer of electricity for the first time in 42 years, due to the lowest level of nuclear electricity production. Since 1981, it has been a net source of electricity exports to its neighbors, especially thanks to nuclear power plants that cover more than 60% of the country's electricity production.

Nuclear power production by EDF is set to drop to its lowest level in more than 3 decades as it struggles to maintain its aging plants.

In order to confront these natural and structural problems, and to combat the increasing pressures of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the growing demand for energy and the high prices of electricity and gas, French Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne announced - earlier - plans for the complete re-nationalization of the French electricity company "EDF".


"We must guarantee our sovereignty in light of the repercussions of the war in Ukraine," Born told parliament at the time. "I confirm the government's intention to own 100% of EDF's capital."

And last February, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a strategic plan to build 6 new nuclear plants, by the French Electricity Company, by 2050.

Macron stated that the first new reactor will start operating by 2035, adding that studies will be launched for 8 other reactors in addition to the 6 new primary stations.

At the time, EDF estimated the cost of 6 new reactors at around 50 billion euros, according to financing terms.