Warning to EU countries against selfishness in the energy crisis - "Even if it hurts"

Created: 09/16/2022, 17:30

By: Anna-Katharina Ahnefeld

The oil refinery of PCK-Raffinerie GmbH in Schwedt, Brandenburg, still transports Russian gas.

But that should be over soon.

The federal government has now placed Rosneft Germany under state control.

© Patrick Pleul/dpa

The EU wants to solve the energy crisis and skim off excess profits from electricity producers.

SPD European politician Jens Geier on the upcoming winter, China and the much-vaunted European solidarity.

Strasbourg – meeting place: The busy press bar of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Jens Geier (SPD) appears a little too late.

"Excuse me, the oil and gas industry slowed me down," he says, getting straight to the point.

Europe is in an energy crisis.

In her speech on the state of the Union, Ursula von der Leyen had just shown how the EU intends to solve this.

Among other things, with a cap on high energy prices.

European politician Geier agrees with von der Leyen on many points of her keynote speech and, in an interview with the

by IPPEN.MEDIA, calls for “noticeable relief” for consumers.

At the same time, he is confident that support for Ukraine will continue and explains why European solidarity decides whether Vladimir Putin wins or loses.

Energy crisis in the EU and Germany: SPD politician Jens Geier on measures and potential for escalation

In her State of the Union speech, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made far-reaching announcements on energy, relief and price caps.

How do you rate the plans? 

As measures that I think are very correct and that have already become apparent over the past week.

It is of course no coincidence that the results of the coalition committee in Germany are not too far off.

The consideration of suitable measures took place in parallel.

Enough to get Europe through the winter?

The issue this winter is no longer the amount of gas that is available, but the price.

From the information I have, there is no need to worry about running out of gas.

The question is rather: Is the price such that private households and energy-intensive industry can afford it?

And then you have to say: no.

Anyone who has an oven, whether in the basement for heating, in a bakery or in industry, has to think: Can I just bear the costs?

The industry asks itself whether it can produce at all.

That's why the prices have to go down.

When the market stops working - and I don't know anyone who says it does - we have to step in and control prices.

There must now be a noticeable relief that people also feel.

Does it depend in some way on how much solidarity with Ukraine will remain?

I'm not too worried about that.

The polls I know indicate that a large part of the population continues to support the sanctions against Russia.

Even when it hurts.

But there are of course political forces in Germany working to undermine that - for very obvious political motives.

I don't ignore it and I don't think it's completely ineffective.

There is a risk that right-wing extremists like the AfD will ultimately be successful in creating a narrative that says: "Let Vladimir Putin have his way, as long as gas prices normalize again." But at least that has had little success so far.  

So you don't expect an escalation, for example in the form of protests?

The potential for escalation is there to the extent that the situation becomes more complicated.

When companies across the board go on short-time work, when energy-intensive companies are considering temporary or permanent closures, and when utility bills become a risk of poverty, there is always potential for escalation.

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The SPD MEP Jens Geier appealed to European solidarity in the energy crisis.

© Mathieu Cugnot

EU politician Jens Geier: Moving away from China for raw material - and the importance of Africa

Ursula von der Leyen also turned her attention to China and made it clear how important it is to be independent when it comes to raw materials.

With Russia as an example, we can already see what happens when scarce resources are used as leverage.

Globalization is coming under pressure from the public discussion of how Europe is developing sovereignty in order to be able to react to objective or politically staged supply problems.

I think that's the right development.

There are critical raw materials that we do not have in Europe, but which can partly be procured through intensive circular economy.

However, to the extent that demand increases, new sources or substitution are also needed.

We need a multi-pronged strategy.

Research into the substitution of critical materials is also central.

To give an example: until recently, the use of hydrogen in fuel cells required platinum.

This can now be replaced.

And at that moment we no longer have the shortage situation.

You just mentioned new sources.

In the September plenary week of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Ursula von der Leyen spoke of reliable partnerships.

Do we have them?

Ms. von der Leyen named several, such as India, New Zealand and Mexico.

I'm not worried about the reliability of these suppliers.

The crucial point is that it must be trade agreements that transport European values, such as the recognition of core labor standards or agreements on sustainability.

The willingness to do so is also growing in the democracies – we have to rely on that.

The political claim to secure critical raw materials for demand in Europe and not to let this degenerate into neo-colonialism is crucial.

How can we actually classify Africa?

Africa is the continent with the greatest economic potential for the future.

It is the continent that is on average the poorest, with the youngest population, that borders us and where many important raw materials are also found.

A European-African partnership on an equal footing, not exploitative, but supportive, helping and developing, is key.

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Russia policy: Germany "not determined enough" - Federal Republic as a petitioner in the EU?

The President of the Commission has also acknowledged her own mistakes, especially in the area of ​​fossil fuels.

She is known to be a German politician.

Does one have to say that the German government was naïve when it came to Russia, or did they just not want to see what they were headed for?

We certainly should have listened more to our European neighbors in the Baltics and Poland.

Political reactions in the past, such as the Russian attacks on Georgia and Crimea, were not decisive enough.

We should have started earlier to free ourselves from dependence on Russian fossil fuels. 

That also puts your own party to blame.

Yes.

Will Germany's position in the union of states change because the Federal Republic is particularly affected by the energy crisis and needs the solidarity of the other EU countries?

Politicians I talk to in neighboring German countries actually have a very realistic view of Germany's role.

We will not change anything about the geographical location in the middle of Europe.

If new transport routes for energy emerge in the future, they will often affect Germany.

And if we look at the future hydrogen supply network in Europe, the pipes always meet in Central Europe.

That means Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and Austria will be the ones that will be at the crosspoint of all pipeline connections.

That automatically puts Germany in a coordinating role, which nobody would deny us.

Don't think that at some point the other EU countries will say: Great, Germany has made itself dependent on Russia, and now we have to help the Germans out of trouble too...

I don't really see that.

Germany buys energy not only from European neighbors who can supply it, but also globally in order to create enough energy reserves for the winter.

However, there are also partnership agreements that would oblige Germany to help its neighbors in case of doubt.

And that's right too.

If European solidarity breaks down as a result of this energy crisis, we have lost and Putin has won.

The task of being able and willing to help one another is currently crucial for us to get through this crisis together.

(Interview: Catherine Ahnefeld)