ATHENS – Expressing the view that the government has for months allowed an energy cartel in Greece to operate unchecked and set prices to make exorbitant profits, main opposition SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras on Monday also predicted that the repercussions of the war in Ukraine are not yet reflected in the current high prices. Tsipras made the statement during his meeting with representatives of the Industrial Energy Consumers Union at the party’s headquarters.

He stressed that the extraordinary conditions demand an “out of the box” emergency plan to address the energy crisis.

Party sources said that Tsipras described what was happening with “the tremendous increase in the cost of energy” as “unbelievable”, while underlining that “it must stop”.

The main opposition leader also expressed concern that much worse is yet to come as “the consequences from the war in Ukraine have not yet become apparent in the real economy”.

On his part, the president of the Union, Antonis Kontoleon, said that Greece found itself “unprotected against the crisis.”