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.

It’s not a slowdown…

It’s more like a Vollbremsung. That’s German for full braking or emergency stop.

Germany’s highest court just cancelled the Green’s latest rush-rush trick, I mean plan to save the planet at German taxpayers’ expense.

Germany’s Green Slowdown – While voters may still broadly support net zero goals, they’re not necessarily on board with the escalating costs of the transition.

… Today, it’s the Greens’ proposed ban on new gas boilers in homes that’s causing trouble. Against a backdrop of sliding poll ratings, the party’s partners in the coalition forced a dilution of the plan last month in a package that also included a massive road-building program.

In another blow to the policy — dubbed Habeck’s Heating Hammer by the opposition — Germany’s constitutional court has made a highly unusual intervention in the legislative process and ordered the government to give parliament more time to scrutinize the plan.

Expert At Losing Bets Waxes Poetic On Gambling

If the Germans don’t know about losing energy bets, nobody does. Old Vlad better listen up.

Putin has gambled away gas leverage, says German vice-chancellor – Robert Habeck says ‘half of our eggs were in the basket of Putin’ but Germany is now recovering capacity.

Vladimir Putin has gambled away his gas leverage over Europe, Germany’s vice-chancellor has claimed as he sounded a note of cautious optimism over his country’s energy supplies during a visit to Norway.

Try To Remember…

The kind of December
When gas was there and temps so mellow…

Nobody said “saving the planet” would be easy.

Snow covers Germany amid gas crunch – As Germany experienced its coldest December in a decade, the government implored residents to exercise restraint on turning up the heat.

“Germany is still very, very far from having its gas needs totally covered for the next two years. Because of this, in spite of the cold, I implore you to exercise restraint with gas use.”

German Of The Day: Blackout

That means blackout.

Blackout risk – Germany’s gas storage facilities are 94 percent full, but the level is steadily declining in view of the cold weather.

“Everyone is preparing for it…” He pleads for a factual discussion without scaremongering, but warns against possible acts of sabotage – and explains what emergency supplies citizens should stock up on in case of an emergency.

More Windmills ASAP!

Our solar panals don’t seem to be working properly here in Germany at the moment. It’s all dark and cloudy or something. And white. Geez. Why is it so cold all of a sudden?

This “saving the planet” stuff can be a real ice-cold bitch.

Germany at risk of gas shortages as consumption cutting target missed – Country has scrambled to open up new sources of energy since start of Ukraine war.

Germany is saving less gas than necessary to rule out shortages this winter, the head of the German grid agency has said, as the country missed its crucial target of a 20% cut in consumption last week amid dropping temperatures.

A Massive Energy Cost Rise?

But where did this massive rise in energy costs come from? Who is responsible?

I know. We’ll ask the government to help us!

1 in 10 Germans had not yet heated by November despite cold weather: Survey – Germans have significantly changed their heating habits due to massive rise in energy costs, research finds.

German Of The Day: Energiepreis-Stoppschild

That means energy price stop sign.

This is a brilliant new German invention (both the word and the concept) meaning that energy providers must first explain why they will be raising prices before going ahead and raising them anyway. Thanks German government (the ones who created this energy crisis in Germany in the first place), German citizens are most certainly saying, we wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly at night without you.

Germany to force energy providers to justify future price hikes – The German government plans to allow energy providers to raise prices next year only if objectively justified, the economy ministry said on Saturday, denying a media report that Berlin planned a ban on all energy price hikes for consumers.