German journalists are actively discussing Putin’s goals, Gazprom’s gain, the role of Nord Stream 2, the mistakes of the German government and the EU’s objectives.
“Putin blackmails for the sake of Nord Stream 2: how we get an expensive winter because of Merkel.” “Why is Putin dooming us to hellish energy prices this winter.” “Russia has benefited the most from the gas price crisis.” “We must break out of the gas trap!”
Such headlines can now be seen on the pages and websites of the leading German media: the gas crisis in Europe and the role that Russia plays in it have become one of the main topics of analytical articles, comments and remarks in Germany.
Bild: Merkel brushed off expert warnings for years
So, in recent days, the most popular tabloid newspaper in Germany, Bild, has been referring to this topic literally from issue to issue.
One of the articles says: “Experts and politicians who know how Russia again and again uses energy as a weapon have warned for years that a political price will have to be paid for the new Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic. Germany “.
According to experts, the publication continues, the gas pipeline “creates a one-sided dependence, allows Putin to influence German politics and, most importantly, gives him the power to make us and others freeze if we do not play by his rules.”
However, Angela Merkel “brushed off all warnings,” Bild points out. Now Germany is facing an “extremely expensive winter”.
In another publication, Bild asks the question: “To what extent did Gerhard Schroeder get Merkel around his finger?” The publication reminds that the former German Chancellor, as a top manager of Gazprom, participated in the construction of Nord Stream 2, and “Merkel, despite large-scale protests, supported this project all the time.”
Now the pipeline has been completed, and “the owner of the Kremlin, Vladimir Putin, is using it exactly as the experts warned: he is blackmailing Germany and Europe!”
After all, now “Schroeder’s friend Putin is deliberately supplying too little gas through other pipelines,” which is why prices have exploded, the newspaper said. The Russian president’s phrase that Germany should “bow low to Gerhard Schroeder in the legs” for low gas prices Bild regarded as “a mockery of millions of consumers.”
Die Zeit: Germany is too fixated on gas
The left-wing liberal weekly Die Zeit also dwells on the role of the former and current (as well as probable future) chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany in the current gas crisis. His commentator believes that Germany is too fixated on only one energy carrier – gas, and therefore has become overly dependent on it.
“The German gas mania is the result of many mistakes of several federal governments. It all started with Gerhard Schroeder in 1998. His red-green coalition wanted to give up nuclear energy without fail.
However, its energy revolution turned out to be not so much a breakthrough towards renewable energy as a big turn towards natural gas, “the commentary says.
Its author recalls that many social democrats then fought for gas power plants, Schroeder, together with Putin, launched Nord Stream 2, in 2015, under the Social Democratic Minister of Economy and Energy Sigmar Gabriel, they agreed on Nord Stream 2, and conservative Angela Merkel together with their vice-chancellor and finance minister, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, the likely next German chancellor, “completed Putin’s project.”
“Meanwhile, Schroeder and other social democratic politicians have long been making money in the energy sector. In addition, under the Minister of Economy Gabriel, it was Gazprom that sold Germany’s largest gas storage facility,” Die Zeit said in a commentary further.
Its author is convinced: “To defuse the current gas crisis, Nord Stream 2 is not required. Gazprom could simply supply more gas to Europe via Ukraine.” Does Russia not want to or cannot do it? “In the end, it’s not that important anymore, because it’s clear that natural gas can no longer be considered a reliable energy source.”
Therefore, Die Zeit concludes, the correct response to the current situation “would be a long-term strategy to reduce gas consumption.”
We must do our best to develop renewable energy, and to protect the climate, it is better to turn off the coal power plant early and wait a year or two before turning off the nuclear power plant, the author recommends to the future government of Germany.
And he adds: “And every German still intent on getting gas heating should think carefully about investing a little more money in green technology. So that he doesn’t have to pay a hefty bill from Putin later.”
Handelsblatt: EU companies and authorities are part of the responsibility
The economic newspaper Handelsblatt has published a number of articles on various aspects of the outbreak of the energy crisis. One of the publications notes: “It is already clear who will definitely benefit from the European gas crisis. It is Gazprom, while” the majority of Russians will not benefit from this. “
Another article, in a commentary titled “The EU contributed to the gas price crisis with its policies,” indicates that there were two ways to prevent it.
“Firstly, European energy companies could agree on prices with Gazprom for a longer period. Secondly, they could order more gas in the summer to fill their storage facilities. Neither has been done.”
However, it would be wrong to assign responsibility only to companies, the commentator believes, because the European gas market is heavily regulated by EU laws and directives.
“When they were last reformed, long-term gas contracts were seen as a manifestation of structural market rigidity. The requirement to focus more on spot market prices in contracting partially contributed to the fact that retail prices are now fluctuating so much,” commenter Handelsblatt notes. to the following conclusion: “The task of the European Commission is now to rectify the situation without increasing dependence on Russia.”
A source: Russian service DW
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