All of Europe is descending into cut-throat economic chaos as the sharp drop in Russian natural gas exports to “unfriendly” countries that imposed sanctions on Russia, work their way through the European physical economy. German Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) was asked whether or not Russia plans to leave Nord Stream 1 closed after its scheduled maintenance is completed later this month, to which he replied: “I have no secret information regarding either the first or the second scenario,” Habeck told ARD broadcaster. He added: “If it’s impossible to get more gas on the market, we just need to reduce our consumption even more.” Consumer and industrial groups in the country are now attacking each other, as they argue over whose gas should be cut first, and most (see separate slug).
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer tried to ironize about the “absurdly high” energy costs and inflation at a conservative ÖVP party meeting in the state of Tyrol last week. “If we continue like this, you will only have two options afterwards: alcohol or psychotropic drugs.” He added that “alcohol is basically OK. But … the main thing is that you make a toast when you are feeling good.”
The country’s Social Democrats, among others, are outraged at Nehammer, with Social Democrat Franz Schnabl, who is the second deputy head of the state of Lower Austria, denouncing Nehammer’s attempted joke as “unbearable” when “a significant part of the nation is sliding into poverty,” and decrying what he called “the depravity” of the ÖVP.
