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Gas taps in the national colors of Ukraine
Photo: IMAGO/Martin Schroeder / IMAGO/CHROMORANGE
In the discussion about a complete energy embargo against Russia, the warning voices in Germany are getting louder and louder.
Because of the foreseeable consequences for the people in the Federal Republic, the President of the Social Association Germany, Adolf Bauer, also rejects an embargo.
»We shouldn't take the risk of dramatic consequences for our labor market.
We can only withdraw from Russia's energy supply when we can rule out the possibility of major distortions here," Bauer told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
Because of the high inflation, Bauer has already warned of the dramatic consequences for poorer people in Germany as a result of the war in Ukraine.
“It's not just energy prices that are skyrocketing, but also rents and food prices.
If things continue like this, the poorer population, for whom it is not a question of a loss of prosperity because they can hardly make ends meet anyway, will suffer immensely.« Politicians cannot tolerate this.
»Russia should even benefit from it«
The general secretary of the Economic Council of the CDU, Wolfgang Steiger, even fears the almost paradoxical consequences of an embargo.
“We must not be naïve when it comes to unilaterally terminating coal and oil supplies from longer-term, low-cost contracts.
Russia should even benefit from this, ”said Steiger to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
"Because it could then achieve exorbitantly higher prices on the world market for the quantities released than at present, but our energy suppliers would have to pass on the increased world market prices of other suppliers to the end consumer."
A holistic concept for security of supply in Germany and Europe must be worked on quickly, said Steiger.
»The most important thing is to keep a cool head.
Nobody needs symbolic politics.« It is unclear what financial consequences an embargo would have for Russia.
"In the worst case, there is only a shift in quantities on the world market."
The European Union has already decided to stop imports of Russian coal and imposed further unprecedented sanctions.
There is also constant discussion about an immediate exit from Russian gas or oil.
So far, however, Germany and other countries have been reluctant to do so - for fear of economic damage.
Employers and unions have jointly warned of the impact of a potential Russian gas supply freeze.
According to Bundesbank model calculations, a complete energy embargo could plunge the German economy into recession this year.
ani/AFP/dpa