He told you!
*CHORTLE*
By CHRIS PLEASANCE FOR MAILONLINE —July 26th
Germany on the brink: EU’s economic powerhouse is heading for recession and energy rationing – with bills tripling – after Merkel ignored warnings Putin could cripple Europe by choking gas supplies
Russia is slowly choking off gas supplies to Germany, which are now down to just 20 per cent of normal level
Country is now facing an acute shortage over winter, amid warnings whole industries may have to shut down
£240billion could be wiped off the economy, experts warn, which could plunge into a recession until 2024
Household bills could triple, with street lights dimmed and swimming pools already shut to make savings
Pain is a legacy of Angela Merkel, who ignored 15 years of warnings about over-reliance on Russian energy
Europe’s summer heatwave has only just finished, but already panic is growing in Germany over what horrors may lay in store for its citizens this winter.
Vladimir Putin is choking the country’s gas supplies - officially because of ‘essential repair work’ to pipelines, though few doubt he is exacting revenge for Berlin’s defiance over Ukraine. Flows through Nord Stream 1, Germany’s main gas pipe, are now at 20 per cent of normal levels. There are fears it could soon close for good.
That has sparked warnings of energy rationing for both households and businesses which, under worse-case scenarios, could force entire industries to shut down. Domestic energy bills could triple, pushing already-high inflation up by another 2 per cent. £240billion could be wiped off the economy, with aftershocks felt into 2024.
‘Germany is on the cusp of a recession,’ is how top economist Clemens Fuest put it yesterday. Others worry the whole Eurozone could soon go into reverse.
In order to avert a catastrophe, EU leaders today agreed to cut gas use by 15 per cent but Germany - which imports the most Russian gas of any member state by far - faces double that. Economy minister Robert Habeck says he is taking shorter showers, while regional leaders are dimming street lights and closing swimming pools.
The fiasco is a legacy of Angela Merkel, who ignored 15 years of warnings from her own top energy expert Claudia Kemfert that over-reliance on Russian energy would make the country vulnerable.
As Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, co-founder of think-tank Council on Geostrategy, told MailOnline: ‘Germany is in for a rough winter due to its heavy reliance on Russian gas.
‘Despite repeated warnings about the risks of this reliance successive German governments have only deepened it, opening the country up to the risk of Russia doing exactly what it looks to be doing - using gas as a weapon.’
slow to the party fritz
Germany finally waking up
only took them 30 years of being conned by Russia and its propagandists!
at least now, things can finally change ...
Wonder if they laughed as hard at her as they did Trump? But they ain't laughin' now.
Trump was right AGAIN! but Merkle refused to listen to him and now germany is hosed ...
Screw Germany.
You could cut off gas to government offices.
Its the same sort fantastical thinking that gave Germany "Energiewende," that also makes them believe they can send German tanks and artillery to Ukraine to kill Russian soldiers, without it having any effect on Russian willingness to supply gas!
Eurolemmings, forward!
She is not living in a nightmare. Her power will never be shut off and she will always have heat in her house. As an expert she is a member of the privileged elites and they all have a reliable grid leading to their homes and neighborhoods. The only nightmare will be when the peasants in the surrounding countryside get so cold that they try to get warm inside her house.
Merkel should swing for leading the Germans into this travesty. Germany was doing quite well with their nukes and coal-fired power sources. Now the taxpayers get to dig deeper into their pockets to cover for some idiot’s phuckups.
Sound familiar ... ?
So they sold their souls for Russian gas instead.
The german politicians are being paid off by the Russians.
We have Pelosi, Romney, McConnell, Biden sons all “working” at no show jobs for a Ukrainian gas company. These are just 4 politicians here in the USA. Cheap money to buy politicians in order to make billions and to have a say in a countries policies.
I guess I don't need to remind those on this forum that Donald J. Trump warned Frau Angela Merkel YEARS AGO not to trust russia for their energy needs.
For smart people, the Germans sure are morons. What explains this?
Well if they didn’t shut down their atomic electrical plants and coal .....
Hey Germany, Howz all that sanctions stuff workin’ out for ya?
It seems that the rotten Russkies have turned off the gas taps (just keeping enough flowing to maintain the system in working order *).
Possibly not a coincidence the Germans have announced they will be sending Geopard AA tanks to Ukraine.
It’s going to get worse before it gets better!
* Just a hint that the door is not yet closed completely?
Note that they had mothballed coal plants to restart ... someone knew this would happen or else the plants would have been bulldozed and hauled away.
>>For 15 years Claudia Kemfert says she tried to warn politicians and the public that the country was too reliant on Russian energy.<<
Is she now going to trust Biden more than the Russians?
Fools rush in.