Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels
Rising electricity, gas, oil, petrol and food prices are drastically pushing the standard of living down for millions of citizens across the 27-nation EU. The European Commission's flagship annual conference, focusing on the economy, has been told things could get much worse.
The Brussels Economic Forum 2022 also heard that financial pressures, mainly resulting from the conflict in Ukraine, are disproportionately impacting young adults in precarious jobs.
Some analysts suggest untold misery is being piled on citizens because the West purposely ignored Russia's legitimate security concerns. We have been seeking opinions on the current economic pressures.
Driving the EU's foreign policy, critics say Washington has put the bloc in an unwinnable situation. There was no mention of that by key speakers at the Brussels conference.
Enormous force for who? Russia's currency, the Ruble, is doing very well and the federation is benefiting from rising energy prices. Experts warn of catastrophe if the Kremlin decides to cut off its gas supplies to the EU.
As one contributor at the Brussels Economic Forum put it, there is no economy without energy.