press review
Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has declared the second stage of the crisis in the gas emergency plan because of the cut in Russian gas supplies. This is how the press commented on the gas alarm.
The Federal Ministry of Economics announced the alarm level in the gas emergency plan on Thursday. Gas is “from now on a scarce commodity in Germany,” announced Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck in Berlin. Although security of supply is currently guaranteed, there is a disruption in gas supply due to the throttled Russian deliveries, which is leading to a “significant deterioration in the gas supply situation”. The failures of the last decade have now led Germany into these difficulties, said Habeck. You would be in a different position if you had really made progress in energy efficiency and the expansion of renewable energies in recent years.
The federal government activated the emergency plan after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine in March and declared the early warning level. Since then, a crisis team has been monitoring the situation. The alert level that has now been declared means, among other things, an urgent call to save gas and even closer monitoring of the market.
“Frankfurter Rundschau”: “So the situation is serious, but it is not hopeless. After all, shortly after taking office, the federal government began to correct the mistakes of all previous governments. With its economic power, Germany has secured almost everything that is on the The world market for liquefied natural gas (LNG) or special ships to unload it was available. It is planned that the first LNG will flow from the North Sea coast into the grid as early as 2023. It may even be faster — if the corresponding hinterland connections are completed sooner. That should now be under the necessary pressure no longer fail. And after all, a good 60 percent of the storage facilities are already full. That’s not enough, but it’s not nothing either. The winter could be tough, and we literally have to dress warmly. But Putin will bring us to our knees Not.”
“Augsburg General”: “Robert Habeck makes it easy for himself and points out that the fault for the development does not lie with the incumbent government, but with the previous government, which has become too dependent on Russian gas and has not sufficiently expanded renewables. However, the Green Party forgets that he himself has had six months to set the course. Apart from making announcements, however, he has not done anything to counteract the worsening situation. The country is still waiting for the promised gas from Qatar, for example. Habeck’s accusations are getting no one anywhere. Government and The opposition must develop solutions together, because the economic situation has never been so serious, not even during the corona pandemic.”
“Free word” (Suhl): “Should Germany really run out of energy, it will be up to Russia, not Habeck. But the extent of the gap will have a lot to do with the government’s reluctance to do what is clearly necessary today. The wake-up call from Moscow has now startled them. If apartments really stay cold, people will not only freeze for peace, but also for the dogmatic stubbornness with which Berlin is pushing through the more than ten-year-old nuclear phase-out schedule.”
“Germany will be hit on its Achilles’ heel”
“Reutlingen General Gazette”: “You don’t have to blame Habeck for the many about-faces. He’s doing what needs to be done in energy policy. But apparently that’s not enough. Otherwise the Minister for Economic Affairs wouldn’t have to declare the alarm level in the gas emergency plan. That doesn’t mean that energy is being rationed However, it is a sign that gas will become even more expensive and that inflation will continue to rise. It is also a signal that Germany is making too slow progress in filling the gas storage facilities. The aim is to reach a level of 90 percent in winter “In this respect, the citizens are facing a difficult winter. And Habeck will have to ask himself, especially with regard to nuclear power and coal, whether he changed course in time.”
“Wiesbaden Courier”: “By triggering the alarm level of the national gas emergency plan, consumers, authorities and companies should be shaken up. Everyone should save gas like never before. Politicians hope that consumption can be reduced by around a fifth. There is still no compulsion. But it is the last warning before the triage takes place, i.e. the selection of who may still be supplied with gas in winter and who is not could move dangerously close to zero. Consumers and critical infrastructure such as clinics then rightly enjoy special protection. But it will be expensive.”
“Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”: “Germany is being hit on its Achilles’ heel, a lack of security of supply. … In the past decade, energy policy … was based on similar illusions as policy on Russia. The nuclear power debate is symptomatic of this: those who thought the phase-out was too hasty are now pushing for an extension of the service life “Anyone who has always been opposed to nuclear power will remain so when it comes to every kilowatt hour. … However, autumn and winter will not be defused by old ideological rifts being dug again. For the traffic light coalition, this is a challenge that goes beyond the acute The state of emergency extends. The first precautions, such as the LNG terminals, have been taken. But it will be years before Germany’s energy policy gets its feet on the ground again.”
“Leipziger Volkszeitung”: “The fact that an armed conflict endangers the supply situation with elementary goods is an experience that generations of Germans have been spared so far. Only the very old still remember the consequences of the war or the Berlin blockade. Germany is not part of the war But it is very much part of the economic war. It would therefore be naïve to assume that Putin will not fire his heaviest economic weapon. The West can expect nothing more from Putin – apart from trying to cause the greatest possible damage.”
“Southwest Press” (Ulm): “No one should be under any illusions about the Kremlin’s motives: everything indicates that the shortage of gas supplies to Europe is politically motivated. One must also expect that Moscow will soon stop exporting completely. Russia’s reputation as a reliable supplier of raw materials is already ruined , so why should Vladimir Putin wait for Europe to gradually make itself independent? He should be more pleased to see Germany slide into an economic crisis without the coveted goods and the population’s approval of the sanctions against his country crumbling.”
Source: Stern
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