People are paying the price of the war – A harsh winter lies ahead

Statements by AKEL MEP Giorgos Georgiou on ‘Astra’ radio

5 May 2022, ‘Astra’ radio

There must be an end to the war in Ukraine as the European peoples will pay in an unfair way its ramifications, said AKEL MEP Giorgos Georgiou.

Speaking to ‘Astra’ radio on the sixth package of sanctions that have been imposed by the EU against Moscow, which was presented yesterday in the European Parliament by the President of the European Commission, the AKEL MEP said that the coming winter will be very harsh in terms of energy and people’s economic situation, pointing out that the phenomenon of energy poverty is now occurring.

Giorgos Georgiou also noted that the consequences of these sanctions are as much political as they are economic and energy-related, saying that coal and lignite are now being used to fulfill the increased energy needs.

The AKEL MEP underlined that the Anastasiades government needs to highlight at a European level Cyprus’ energy isolation and seek to secure exemptions or to take measures on the basis of the recommendations that have been submitted by AKEL, such as avoiding the double taxation of fuel and the reduction of VAT from 19% to 9% on electricity for the vulnerable groups of the population.