Paul Magnette, the President of the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS), has called on the Federal Government to stop negotiating with Engie on the extension of two nuclear reactors and to obligee them to generate power at a fixed price.
The Federal Government secured an agreement with energy supplier Engie earlier this year on a framework to prolong the lifespan of the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 nuclear reactors until 2035.
However, these discussions have run into difficulties and appear to be far from over, since they are simply an 'agreement in principle,' with the energy provider stating that their demands are prerequisite for any confirmed extension of the reactors.
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Even though both parties expect these negotiations to be completed by the end of the year, certain parties want the government to take a tougher stance against the energy provider as a result of the energy crisis. The latter has seen Engie pocket €2 billion in excess profits, all while bills have soared for households around the country.
As a result, Paul Magnette, leader of the PS, stated on LN24 that "the discussions with Engie have gone on long enough."
Furthermore, he added that the government should be able to impose to Engie that they produce electricity that "we (the Federal Government) will buy at a price set by public authorities, much lower than the market price," which would allow them to lower energy bills.
