The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

“We are living in a gas crisis”: Habeck swears Germans into a hard winter

2022-06-24T19:06:45.733Z


“We are living in a gas crisis”: Habeck swears Germans into a hard winter Created: 06/24/2022, 20:59 By: Kathrin Reikowski Habeck swears Germany on a hard winter. (Montage) © Axel Heimken/Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa Robert Habeck sees Germany facing a hard winter because of the gas crisis. "We won't be able to absorb everything, it's an external shock." Berlin - "Putin wants our country to disas


“We are living in a gas crisis”: Habeck swears Germans into a hard winter

Created: 06/24/2022, 20:59

By: Kathrin Reikowski

Habeck swears Germany on a hard winter.

(Montage) © Axel Heimken/Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

Robert Habeck sees Germany facing a hard winter because of the gas crisis.

"We won't be able to absorb everything, it's an external shock."

Berlin - "Putin wants our country to disassemble.

But we're not splitting ourselves up," says German Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) in an interview with

Der Spiegel

.

On Friday (June 24), the Bundestag decided on accelerated network expansion, more consumer rights in relation to energy suppliers and closer monitoring of filling stations - as part of the turning point caused by the escalated Ukraine conflict.

To this end, he passed the federal government's draft law to amend the energy industry law – the Bundesrat still has to approve it.

This should not only accelerate the conversion to renewable energies, but also strengthen consumer rights.

The Federal Network Agency will have additional options for supervising energy suppliers - especially in connection with the withdrawal of individual suppliers.

You must announce this three months in advance to both the customer and the network agency.

Despite the strengthening of consumer rights, Habeck is assuming a winter full of deprivation in the

Spiegel

interview.

War in Ukraine: Habeck swears Germans to a hard winter

The Ukraine war is near.

"We hear how women see their children dying next to them, how 19-year-olds who actually want to sit at university and dream of the beach go to the front to defend their country." Living in freedom and security - that is no longer a matter of course.

That's why he sees a great deal of determination not to let Russian President Vladimir Putin get away with this war.

There are people who didn't heat all the rooms in their apartment last winter.

And to be honest, it's not the end yet.

Robert Habeck

A winter of hardship means that “companies have to stop production, lay off their workers, supply chains collapse, people go into debt to pay their heating bills, people become poorer, and frustration spreads throughout the country,” says Habeck.

Habeck speaks of the "gas crisis": "Our goal is that nobody goes to the dogs"

The federal government is doing everything to avoid a shortage - but gas consumption must be reduced.

If that is not enough, then "we will have to make very difficult social decisions," says Robert Habeck.

“All market-based processes will then be suspended.

That would be catastrophic for some industries.

We're not talking about two days or weeks, but about a long time."

“We are in a gas crisis.

Our goal is that nobody goes to the dogs,” says Habeck.

How much energy is he already saving?

As a minister with a good salary who is hardly ever at home, he cannot serve as a role model when it comes to saving energy, says Habeck.

My Dutch colleague proudly told me recently that they had launched a campaign to reduce the average shower time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes.

I had to laugh at that.

I've never showered for five minutes in my life.

I take a quick shower.

Robert Habeck

also read

Staged assassination attempt against Putin?

New report documents alleged coup attempt in Kremlin

US intelligence sees a turning point in the Ukraine war: the West is still faced with the weapons dilemma

He hopes that people who earn a lot will also try to save a lot of energy – as he repeatedly emphasizes, the crisis does not affect everyone equally.

"But where money is already scarce, we should provide support," he says, although it is certainly not possible to absorb everything.

"It's an external shock," says Habeck.

When it comes to saving energy, the federal government is relying on a hands-on campaign, not on self-torture.

Coal-fired power plants versus nuclear power plants: "If it made any difference, I wouldn't hesitate"

Habeck has recently had to take a lot of criticism because he wants to generate more energy from coal again.

Would he opt for an extension of the nuclear power plants?

"If the gas crisis really helped and if it were feasible, I wouldn't hesitate.

But it's useless and would only work with cutbacks in security - and that for a high-risk technology," the minister told

Der Spiegel

.

Some researchers, for example, see this less critically - nuclear power plants could continue to run, they think.

However, Habeck estimates the risk to be higher: "For a low yield, we would then have the worst safety of nuclear power plants that we have ever had.

And this in a situation where we are experiencing hacker attacks on our energy infrastructure.

In addition, the reactors are prone to failure,” insists the Economics Minister.

And at the end of the interview, he hopes that the unity of the Germans will remain – also in the coming winter.

"If we master this, with the solidarity we talked about, then I'll be proud of this country."

(kat)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-06-24

You may like

News/Politics 2024-02-21T16:33:13.076Z
News/Politics 2024-02-15T12:52:19.624Z

Trends 24h

News/Politics 2024-03-28T06:04:53.137Z

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.