‘Prepare for the worst, hope for the best’: The EU braces for a hard, cold winter
By Euronews Brussels bureau
In the midst of a sweltering heatwave, the EU is shivering with cold.
“Russia is blackmailing us. Russia is using energy as a weapon,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
An imminent cut-off of Russian gas is looming large over the continent, with governments trying to guess when President Vladimir Putin will decide to turn off the taps. Many have assumed the retaliation as a matter of time after Gazprom began a 10-day maintenance operation across Nord Stream 1, a key pipeline in the EU’s energy mix.
Although the latest reports indicate Gazprom will in fact resume flows through the pipeline, Brussels is not taking any chances. Twelve EU countries have already suffered a total or partial interruption in their supplies, and further disruption appears increasingly likely.
“Gazprom has proven to be a completely unreliable supplier. Behind Gazprom is, as we know, Putin,” said von der Leyen.
With record-breaking inflation and a worsening cost-of-living crisis, the EU can ill afford a winter of scarcity and popular discontent.
The Commission is now asking member states to reduce their gas consumption by 15% from now until next spring. Companies, factories, public buildings and private households should all contribute to this collective effort, which could help save up to 45 billion cubic metres of gas.
This first phase will be voluntary, based on coordination and information campaigns. But in the event of a drastic or complete reduction in Russian gas, the 15% target will become mandatory under a “Union Alert” system. This will open the door for rationing across the bloc, with hand-picked energy-intensive industries forced to shut down for a certain period of time.
Activating the alert will not require the qualified majority of member states and will bypass the European Parliament altogether.
“We know that a lot is at stake: the well-being of our citizens, the jobs, our economy,” von der Leyen admitted.
The unprecedented announcement from Brussels illustrates the extreme gravity and urgency of the times we are living. The modern European economy appears to be over as we knew it: one of its main foundations, cheap and reliable Russian fossil fuels, has crumbled overnight. A successful re-adjustment will take time, money, smart policies, personal sacrifices and probably a recession.
On Wednesday, President von der Leyen called for solidarity and unity to make it through these “testing times” and urged governments to avoid the self-centred and chaotic approach that characterised the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am confident that we can master this Russian-engineered energy crisis by staying together,” she said.
The Briefing will closely follow the crisis to see for how long the EU’s solidarity and unity remain intact. In the meantime, we are taking a break for the summer. We wish you pleasant holidays. See you again in September! |
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