Following Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo's message about five to ten "difficult winters" to come, French President Emmanuel Macron also warned that sacrifices will have to be made in France.
On Wednesday, Macron warned the French that a severe winter is expected and that the time of certainties and an abundance of goods is over, predicting the end "of a certain recklessness."
"The moment we are living in may seem structured by a series of crises, each more serious than the other," he said, explaining that he saw it as "rather a big seesaw."
Macron won his second presidential election in April, but lost a majority in parliament two months later and is facing some major challenges this year: when preparing the budget for 2023, he will have to decide whether to extend the price ceilings for electricity and gas, as well as the current discount on fuel, which expire at the end of 2022 and weigh heavily on public finances.
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In Belgium, too, De Croo delivered a very gloomy message on Monday, before the political working year even started, saying that the next five to ten winters will be difficult.
"A very difficult situation is developing throughout Europe. Some sectors are facing serious difficulties with these high energy prices,” he told reporters during a planned visit to the port of Zeebrugge.
De Croo also made it clear that the State Treasury cannot continue to absorb the blow. “We are monitoring the situation closely, but we must be clear: the next few months will be difficult, next winters will be difficult. We will have to get out of it hoping for the best while preparing for the worst."
