Don’t blame it on your voluntary dependency on Russian energy

You already had the highest energy prices before the war in Ukraine began.

Blame it on your self-inflicted Green Energiewende (energy turnaround). Turn off all your nuclear power plants and find out.

Germany’s heating bills have tripled since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – Germany has faced a significant increase in heating costs since 2021, after deciding to end its reliance on Russia as a key energy supplier over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Germans are facing a 82% increase in heating costs since 2021, when the country decided to cut ties with Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

“Could Germany return to Russian gas via Nord Stream?”

Could the Pope be a Catholic?

Hmmm. A moral high ground dilemma. For now. First get slammed after making yourself dependent on Russian oil – knowingly, eyes wide open – then persist in playing the hardcore sanctions hawk after the war in Ukraine (for Ukraine) is long lost. Like I said, for now.

For months, there has been speculation that the United States and Russia want the Nord Stream gas pipelines repaired and flowing again. The question remains whether Germany might agree.

Germans welcoming a US initiative?

There must be some misunderstanding here.

Germany debates proposal to re-open Nord Stream pipelines – Members of the conservative CDU party, likely to lead the next German government, have raised the possibility of importing Russian gas again. The far right has welcomed the idea.

Parliamentarians of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) have caused a political row in Germany by welcoming an apparent US initiative to repair and re-open the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea between Russia and Germany.

Overly dependent on Russian energy?

That was different. And that worked out just fine. But…

Germany Says Europe Shouldn’t Become Overly Dependent on U.S. Energy – Europe must not become too reliant on U.S. oil and gas, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said on Tuesday, a day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th U.S. President.

Europe needs to “meet the Trump administration with an outstretched hand, but not have our hand cut off,” Habeck said at the Handelsblatt energy summit in Berlin, just as President Trump urged Europe once again to buy more American oil and gas.

German of the day: Unwahrscheinlich

That means unlikely. As in “a recovery of German industry to the level before the war in Ukraine is unlikely.”

Go Green, go… lean.

Germany set to permanently pay for reliance on Russian gas—as power chief says ‘significant structural demand destruction’ means it will never fully recover from energy crisis.

German industry got rich, thanks partly to its close energy trading relationship with political and economic rival Russia. The past few years have shown just how misguided that relationship was, as Russia invaded Ukraine and cut off Germany’s cheap, vital gas supply.

Now, one of Germany’s leading renewable-power bosses has suggested it’s a mistake the country could rue forever, as the fallout from the energy crisis is set to permanently damage its industry.

Those were the days…

When we could smirk our smirk with impunity.

But then the real world happened. Again.

Germany Should Have Listened to Trump – He was right about Berlin’s self-defense and risky energy dependence on Russia.

The lower house of Germany’s Parliament voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis last week. It was a timely move. Germany’s leadership class is going to need all the mellow it can find in a world that isn’t going Germany’s way.

Green Germany looks more black to me

Black as night when you turn off the light.

The Green obsession with doing without is in full nighttime bloom.

Germany passes law to make energy savings compulsory – Germany’s lower house of parliament on Thursday passed a bill to make saving energy compulsory in all economic sectors, a move intended to help fight climate change and curb use of imported fossil fuels.

The Energy Efficiency Act, introduced by the Greens-led economy ministry, includes regulation for energy savings in public buildings, industry and fast-growing data centres across Germany, with the goal of a 26.5% cut by 2030 from 2008.

Spurred by fears that persistently low Russian gas supplies could lead to shortages, the German government introduced some initial energy-saving measures last year, including banning heating for private swimming pools and encouraging people to work from home.

Don’t cry for me, Argentina

Actually, go ahead.

Go ahead and cry for me, Argentina. We can cry together, if you want.

Germany Joins Argentina as Only G-20 Member Facing GDP Drop – Germany faces the only contraction in any Group of 20 economy aside from Argentina this year, according to the OECD, which cut its outlook through 2024.

The euro-zone country will suffer a 0.2% drop in gross domestic product in 2023 — down from a previous projection for stagnation, the Paris-based organization said in new forecasts published Tuesday. It will then grow only 0.9% in 2024, down from 1.3% anticipated in June.

What happened?

The Greens happened.

Now it’s US-Amerika‘s turn (some call it The Banana Republic).

Germany went from envy of the world to the worst-performing major developed economy. What happened?

For most of this century, Germany racked up one economic success after another, dominating global markets for high-end products like luxury cars and industrial machinery, selling so much to the rest of the world that half the economy ran on exports.

Jobs were plentiful, the government’s financial coffers grew as other European countries drowned in debt, and books were written about what other countries could learn from Germany.

No longer. Now, Germany is the world’s worst-performing major developed economy, with both the International Monetary Fund and European Union expecting it to shrink this year.

The lack of Russian gas isn’t your problem, Germany

It was your willing dependency on it. And your systematic shutdown of reliable energy sources at home.

Green ideology got you here. Now sit back and enjoy it. And remember: You’re setting an example for the rest of the world.

Energy fears spur German industrials to seek investments abroad – Annual business survey finds concern over country’s future without Russian gas.

Nearly a third of German industrial companies are planning to boost production abroad rather than at home amid increasing concern over the country’s future without Russian gas, according to a closely watched annual survey.

The annual “Energy Transition Barometer” by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) found that 32 per cent of companies surveyed favoured investment abroad over domestic expansion. The figure was double the 16 per cent in last year’s survey.