EU leaders clashed Thursday over how to ride out Europe's energy shock, with traditional partners France and Germany at loggerheads over imposing a cap on gas prices pushed skywards by the war in Ukraine. The bloc's 27 member states have been squabbling for months over measures to lower energy bills, and a Brussels summit began in a chilly mood. Countries such as Italy are pushing hard for a swift and ambitious cap on prices, in the teeth of opposition from Germany, the EU's biggest economy. There is huge political pressure to act, with strikes and protests over the cost of living spreading across Europe -- notably in France and Belgium -- and businesses fearing bankruptcy. A spokesman for Italian premier Mario Draghi said he had "emphasised the urgency of adopting measures which affect prices, such as the introduction of a price cap and a reform of the electricity market. "He warned of the risk that the market fragments, which could have negative effects on European unity if the countries that have more fiscal space operate independently," the official said, in a swipe at Germany. Berlin risks finding itself isolated in the debate. Several smaller economies are furious that...
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