Silent in the Algerian gas transactions, the Italians managed the business well and even beat France to the post, led by its president, Emmanuel Macron, who traveled to Algeria for three days with the sole aim of getting their hands on on Algerian gas. Winter is approaching, we had to jostle to find an alternative to Russian gas. Checkmate therefore for Macron and his strong delegation.
The joint gas purchase plans outlined in the spring by Brussels and the French EU president are in limbo.
Third supplier of natural gas to the EU following Russia and Norway, Algeria is particularly appreciated for its underground resources following the war in Ukraine.
By visiting Algeria, Emmanuel Macron had wanted to get his hands on Algerian gas and reduce France’s consumption of Russian gas and be less dependent than its Italian or German neighbors.
While Macron and his strong delegation lend themselves to formal sessions with the fast that sticks to them, Italy did not wait and went into overdrive to seize the goods and receive additional quantities of Algerian methane. After the mask war during the pandemic, here is the gas war.
→ Read also: From Algeria, Macron says he is confident regarding France’s energy supply
Must say that Macron got there a little late, because since April, Mario Draghi, former head of the Italian government, has crossed the Mediterranean with the boss of the energy group Eni. Eni has signed an agreement with Algerian public operator Sonatrach for the purchase of an additional 9 billion cubic meters of gas in 2023 and the same in 2024, Le Figaro reported.
Mario Draghi, who considers that buying gas from Russia is financing the war in Ukraine, declared that his country was ready to go with Europe until the embargo on Russian gas… it costs”. And, considering that the war will probably be long, he prepares for any eventuality. In February, he carried out active gas diplomacy in producing countries.
Draghi traveled to Congo, Mozambique and Angola before sending a delegation to other countries such as Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia and Azerbaijan, which should eventually free the country. Italy from Russia. Moscow, its main supplier, sold it, in 2021, 29 billion cubic meters out of the 76 billion consumed, or 38%.
As a reminder, Italy has already imported 21 billion cubic meters of gas, or almost half of Algeria’s gas sales to the European Union.
On August 25, following the Council of Ministers in France, Emmanuel Macron called for “unity” in the face of “the big shift” which marks the return to school with “the end of abundance”, “obviousness” and “de recklessness”. A preventive declaration which invited the French to make sacrifices, in the months to come. Because the winter will be long and not hot.
