No Reasons for Panic: Macron Calls for Restraint

French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that there are no reasons for panic regarding potential electricity outages this winter, but he urged citizens to use less energy and called on the state-owned EDF company to restart nuclear reactors to prevent power cuts due to cold weather, Reuters reports.

In an interview with the French TF1 television channel recorded during his official visit to the United States this week, Macron denied that the threat of power outages was linked to mismanagement of EDF's nuclear reactor restart program.

"First, let’s agree: No panic. It is entirely legitimate for the government to prepare for extreme situations that mean power cuts for several hours a day if we do not have enough energy," Macron said.

The head of the French RTE network operator stated Thursday that France could face electricity outages for "several days" this winter, and the government has started advising local authorities on how to handle any outages.

EDF has faced unprecedented outages of its nuclear reactors, leading to a drop in atomic energy production to a 30-year low, while Europe seeks to replace supplies of Russian gas.