Many small businesses have been through a very difficult period since March 2020, but the State supported them.

Now, just as we thought things were beginning to improve, we are hit with an energy crisis in Europe. We all understand why.

Faced with rapidly escalating energy costs, consumer confidence is falling and businesses are looking at their utility bills to check when their current contracts run out.

If nothing changes, discretionary consumer spending will collapse and small and medium sized companies will find themselves unable to cover their new operating costs.

It’s really worrying.

We need an urgent massive intervention at EU level.