Ireland’s Harris Says Europe Must Accelerate Energy Independence

Ireland’s finance minister, Simon Harris, said there are risks of a surge in inflation from the spike in energy prices and the Iran conflict is a “sharp wake-up call” for Europe to become more energy independent.

Europe “still finds itself too reliant” on what happens in other parts of the world and too affected by the decisions of others, Harris, who is also the country’s deputy prime minister, said in a Bloomberg TV interview Monday. The war has increased economic uncertainty, which will only worsen without a de-escalation, he said.