European Commission Faces Criticism From Some Member States Due To Energy Crisis - Source

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2022) The European Commission is facing criticism and growing concern from some member states because of the energy crisis and binding force of collective decisions, a source in the EU told Sputnik on Monday.

"There is some internal criticism on how the leadership of the Commission is handling the energy crisis. There is growing concern over the member states and at the same time some countries, which are not in very good terms with the current leadership of the EU Commission are also expressing their doubts," the source said.

There is a group of member states, mostly from the Visegrad group - the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia - which is not satisfied with the Commission's rule of law decisions towards them, the source said, adding that these countries are even suggesting not supporting the reelection of the current leadership of the Commission in 2024.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The West and its allies have responded by imposing comprehensive sanctions against Russia, with the EU pledging to end its dependence on Russian energy supplies. The bloc has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow, including a gradual phase-out of Russian oil. The Ukraine crisis and sanctions have resulted in disruptions of supply chains and a spike in energy prices worldwide.