A radical change

The world economic order has been shattered, and the European Union has been caught red-handed. We've already seen Russia's attempts to use energy as a weapon of pressure and China's strategy to control the supply chains of new technologies, but now it's our traditional ally, the United States, that has decided to break the rules and impose high tariffs on European products.

The EU is facing these structural changes in a delicate situation. In two decades, the gap in GDP per capita with the United States has increased from 15% to 30%, a figure that demonstrates the progressive deterioration of the European economy. Let us hope that Friedrich Merz's visit to Paris immediately after being elected chancellor will serve to confirm the rebirth of the Franco-German axis, which will be key to undertaking the radical change required by the European project and maintaining the level of prosperity we enjoy.

Apart from wind and solar, it is essential to have other technologies

To return to the path of growth, the EU-27 needs to become more competitive. This means investing more in innovation to close the enormous technological gap with China and the United States, limiting our heavy dependence on third countries for the supply of strategic raw materials, and, above all, implementing urgent measures to reduce the high energy prices that industry has been paying for years.

Another essential requirement is a diversified energy matrix that includes all the technologies necessary to guarantee security of supply, including renewable energy storage, with pumped hydropower being one of its main development paths for the coming years. This means ensuring that businesses and citizens can access the energy they need at all times, a goal that has been called into question in our country following the April 28 blackout.

The drop in generation forced the operator to restart the system by relying on hydroelectric and natural gas combined-cycle plants, the two technologies that offer the most stability, as they depend directly on human management and not on external factors such as the sun or wind. In the case of combined-cycle plants, the blackout highlighted the strategic role these plants continue to play, which in 2024 were the fourth largest source of generation and were primarily used to support the system during times of lack of sun, water, or wind, and the unavailability of nuclear power plants.

The contribution of natural gas to the system demonstrates that all energy sources are necessary to guarantee supply. Therefore, the Spanish government cannot continue to focus solely on reducing CO2 emissions without taking into account that, beyond wind and solar energy, other technologies are essential to ensure stability in the system. This is the only way to guarantee a secure supply for society and continue moving toward a more competitive economy.