Russian spies suspected of infiltrating German government, according to report The domestic intelligence service is said to be investigating 2 officials who work on energy supply. https://www.politico.eu/article/kremlin-espionage-reportedly-suspected-german-economy-ministry/?
Unreliable suppliers eventually get replaced. While its hard to consider German politicians as overly bright, having their noses rubbed into their energy insecurity could result in them taking steps towards Germany’s energy independence. By the same token, if the West is a unreliable trade partner to Russia, Russia will likely take steps to become more self sufficient and establishing new trade partners. The world is probably a safer place when countries are actively trading with each other. Wasn’t of the reasons for WWII related to trade friction?
Dems will roll something like this out right before the elections. It's what they do. And if this student loan thing gets hung up, they will just add it into the next giveaway program. Sort of like rolling an option out to the next month if it is not working for ya. Germany Takes Aim at Cost of Living Crisis in €65 Billion Plan German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition agreed on a relief plan worth about 65 billion euros ($65 billion) to help millions of households struggling with soaring prices amid Europe’s harshest energy crunch in decades. Key measures include a vow to cap -- and even redistribute -- huge profits made by energy companies on the back of the current crisis; increased payments to pensioners, students, parents and the unemployed; and actions to rein in the astronomical pace at which electricity prices are rising. The measures are “a substantial, big step to provide relief to citizens,” Scholz said at the press conference he held at the chancellery in Berlin to present the deal. The crisis is “Putin’s responsibility,” he said in reference to the Russian president and the war in Ukraine. Germany has been facing a spiraling energy crisis ever since Russia’s decision to all but shut down gas deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in the wake of its attack on its neighbor and the heavy sanctions the international community subsequently imposed. Friday, Gazprom announced it would not restart the pipeline as planned after three days of maintenance. more at link. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...agrees-on-energy-relief-plan-worth-65-billion
Rather than just subsidizing energy bill payments -- Scholz is taking the opportunity to re-organize the entire German nation & economy to his vision. You can consider this either to be a brilliant plan by a politician or overreach --- depending on your position on the plan.
The EU and that babe that heads it are doing the same thing. Scholz has had problems in that the only way he could form a government was with the green party which predictably opposed anything he or normal people want to do. Such as staying warm in the winter. In an ugly kind of way now, he is getting a break because things are so bad that he is able to appeal to the normal people there and just let the green party squawk a bit. When I was in Maine I used to say that I am favor of addressing global warming but in January if I had my hand on the global thermostat I would crank it up to about 72 degrees. If that meant that Micronesia went underwater, well, they can move, we are talking about my personal comfort. Could be some of that thinking going on in Germany right now.
70% of Germans back Ukraine despite high energy prices, survey shows https://www.reuters.com/business/en...e-despite-high-energy-prices-poll-2022-07-15/
It's not going to turn out the way that Putin & Gazprom is fantasizing. Russian oil firm Gazprom taunts West with video showing Europe ‘freezing over’ in ‘ice age’ after Putin shuts off gas https://www.thesun.ie/news/9364763/gazprom-releases-freezing-winter-video-europe-without-gas/