Brussels: Thousands protest against spike in energy prices

In Brussels, on Sunday, thousands of individuals came to the streets in the afternoon to give their participation in the demonstration which was held by the far-left PVDA party, and it was considered to be against the high energy prices and the response of the government towards the current situation.

As per the details provided by the PVDA, over 10,000 individuals participated in the “Basta!” protest, to which the party mentioned a human policy with regards to the increase in energy prices.

To work on reducing the increased price of energy as compared to the nearby nations, Belgium was observed as the slowest to impose the standards to maintain the costs for the consumers.

The chairperson of the PVDA mentioned, “People tell me that they have cancelled their holidays this year and that they have to draw on their savings to pay their energy bill. Energy prices are exploding. And it’s getting worse all the time. People can’t take this anymore.”

He told the government to “Finally take the serious measures,” and stressed that VAT on both electricity as well as gas must be decreased by 6 percent, under which the current measures imposed and the VAT rate for the gas stays at 21 percent.

Moreover, Hedebouw mentioned, “We will keep pounding on that nail. From companies and neighbourhoods all over the country. Until the government folds.”

All of the demonstrators had a sign and several slogans along with the questions in their hands, such as, “Why isn’t the government doing anything against this social carnage?”

Along with this, Hedebouw claimed that people are struggling from paying the bills that they can’t even afford, and on the other hand, the electricity provider Electrabel is making billions of amount in profits.

Furthermore, he stated about solving this issue, and the authority should utilise the profits of Engie-Electrabel to pay the VAT reduction and should leave the energy sectors to the individual’s hands. “Only then can we really solve the problem of exploding prices.”

The General Secretary of PVDA, Peter Mertens, shared his thoughts on Twitter. He mentioned, “Today, we are on the streets of Brussels with a clear signal. We say ‘enough’ to the government that leaves us out in the cold with sky-high energy bills and unaffordable prices at the pump. Enough, to the government that keeps the taboo of Electrabel’s surplus profits alive.”

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