France’s Macron against building new Iberia gas pipeline

PRAGUE (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron says his government doesn’t support building a new pipeline to pump natural gas between the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe despite the continent’s energy crisis. European Union countries have struggled during the war in Ukraine to find common ground on how to wean the bloc off its reliance on Russian gas. Spain is pushing to build another, larger gas pipeline to France. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated his support for the idea on Wednesday. But Macron said Thursday that existing pipelines between Spain and France are only being used at 50% to 60% of their capacity. He says his priority is “rather to get more electricity interconnection in Europe.”