Federal government, which believes Putin is using fuel as a “weapon” to divide Europeans, is preparing citizens for winter with “energy austerity plan”
“From now on, gas is a scarce commodity,” declared the Minister of Economy and Climate, the green Robert Habeck, after activating the so-called second phase of the gas emergency plan. The supply from Russia has not been cut off, but it has decreased. Something that in a power like Germany, with 82 million inhabitants and a heavy dependence on Russian gas, equates to an emergency.
Security of supply is guaranteed for the time being, but there is no reason to be overconfident, Habeck added. Currently, at a level of 58%, deposits are more full than last year. But the scenario under consideration is a 60% reduction over the medium term, which will leave those deposits empty into the coming German winter.
In fact, Habeck has already started preparing the population for the harsh winter with an “energy-saving plan”, presenting a catalog a few weeks ago with tricks to save energy (take a quick shower, turn down the heating and air conditioning or use the bicycle).
The economy and climate minister, who holds the rank of deputy foreign minister in Olaf Scholz’s government, has warned for days that President Vladimir Putin is using gas “as a weapon of war”. It’s not just using it against Germany, which as a result of the invasion is no longer the big energy customer it was under Social Democrat Gerhard Schröder and conservative Angela Merkel. The Kremlin leader’s goal is “to destroy Europe’s unity, solidarity and willingness to support Ukraine,” Habeck said.
The Greens representative is currently the highest-rated politician in the country and also the most present in the media, way ahead of Scholz. It has pragmatically started to look for alternatives to Russian gas and managed to reduce imports in a few months from 55% in February to the current 35%.
Source: La Verdad
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