Nov. 30, 2008
Three months before his country assumes the EU presidency, Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek has warned that Europe will suffer serious energy shortages if current climate policy "dogma" prevails.
Addressing the Bled Strategic Forum on August 31, Topolanek said that "despotic" regimes in the Middle East and Russia will have Europeans more dependent than ever on fossil fuels "as a consequence of erroneous recent and present policy making on account of [...] submission to the fad of combating global warming and egotistical efforts running counter to nature."
In taking over the EU presidency in January, the Czech government is tasked with finalising an agreement on the European Commission's comprehensive package of climate and energy measures. The Czech prime minister champions a huge expansion of nuclear power as a means of curbing emissions and decreasing fossil fuel dependence.
While not wishing to "call into question the validity of environmental protection," Topolanek told forum members that the EU energy debate has become unbalanced.
