Cerdán admits that "if it touches" it will be necessary to "rethink many things" in energy matters, but nuclear is not a panacea

He does not believe that Ribera should apologize for calling the Midcat "ruinous" in 2019 since the situation and energy prices have changed

He rejects that taxes on banks and electricity companies are a fiscal punishment and considers that it is a "fair distribution of burdens"

MILAGRO (NAVARRA), 20 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, Santos Cerdán, has acknowledged that if the energy situation worsens even more in the coming months, the Government may have to "rethink many things" but has maintained that, in any case, nuclear energy "is not the panacea" after the PP has proposed extending the useful life of nuclear power plants.

In an interview with Europa Press, he acknowledged that the Government has to be prepared "for whatever comes" because it is not clear whether "the situation is going to get better or worse" given that the energy crisis is the result of the war in Ukraine, which is "unpredictable."

Thus, when asked if the Executive could rethink the dismantling of coal-fired power plants or extend the useful life of nuclear power plants, Cerdán has emphasized that France, where nuclear energy has an important weight in its energy mix, " is now demanding electricity because with the heat wave it cannot cool these plants" which shows that they are not "the panacea".

All in all, he has pointed out that "obviously, if it happens, many things will have to be reconsidered" but in his opinion "the important thing" right now is to maintain the momentum that the Government is giving to renewable energies and that have made it "an example , a role model and we will continue in it".

On the other hand, regarding the debate on the recovery of the Midcat gas pipeline project with France, which is backed by Germany but on which the French government has already poured a bucket of cold water, the socialist leader has ruled out that the third vice president, Teresa Ribera, have to apologize after defending in 2019 that it was a "ruinous" project.

"The geopolitical situation has changed," he stressed, recalling the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how it has affected Russia's gas supply to countries like Germany, as well as the increase in energy prices. "What used to be a more or less successful financial year" today can be "profitable", as is now the case with Midcat, she has valued, maintaining that "it is an opportunity" for all of Europe.

The current circumstances, he continued, are "opening their eyes" to Europeans about the need to adopt measures as the Spanish Government is doing, increasing its commitment to renewable energies, which at the same time serves to combat climate change.

In this sense, given the PP's criticism of the Executive's plan for energy saving measures, Cerdán has argued that they are not going against Spain but "against Europe". "These are not measures that the Government is applying because it wants to" but as the president of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, has recognized this week, they are in accordance with what Brussels has proposed.

Just as Spain was "a worldwide model of vaccination" and is being so in receiving European recovery funds, "we are an example to follow in Europe and in the world" also in the energy crisis, has claimed the secretary of organization of the PSOE.

In another order of things, Cerdán has defended the special taxes agreed by the Government for banks and electricity companies, denying that they are a "fiscal punishment" but rather that what they entail is a "fair distribution" of the burden due to the rise in energy prices.

"It is not about punishing those who are already punished, in this case both the banks and the energy companies are benefiting from increases and extra benefits due to the war in Ukraine and those benefits are what we are acting on" , has highlighted.

The secretary of organization of the PSOE has also taken advantage of the economic situation in Spain, after Eurostat placed growth in the second quarter at 1.1% this week, "almost double that of the rest of the EU countries" , and that the debt "for the first time has dropped from 117%".

"We are on the right track to reduce the debt and, despite what some say, Spain continues to grow and continues to grow almost twice as fast as economies like France, Germany or Italy", the socialist leader remarked.