Fifty-three per cent of our readers believe that we have not lost the war against Russia despite the severe consequences Europe faces. But will we say the same after we receive the first energy bills?
The poll conducted amongst readers of The Capitals also found that 28% of our readers said “it’s complicated” while 18.7% said we had lost the war.
EURACTIV was informed that an EU diplomat told the Commission on Thursday that the executive should take immediate measures to reduce the electricity prices “otherwise we will lose our citizens’ support in the sanctions against Russia”.
All EU countries’ representatives at the same meeting expressed their fear of social unrest due to soaring prices.
In Belgium, EURACTIV was told that some people had tried to order wood for the fireplaces to save energy but could not get delivery within the next six months or before the end of the winter.
The EU Commission’s main narrative is that sanctions’ effectiveness will be visible in the long run. Still, the big question is whether EU citizens -especially low-income households – will survive till then.
It remains to be seen for how long the “who is gonna die first” logic will help Europe buy more time.
Yet, potential social unrest may also question the “zero-sum game” we have been through, and potentially a middle solution will be explored. The US mid-term elections may play a decisive role in this.
French President Emmanuel Macron already said on Thursday that no one wants Turkey to be the “only power speaking to Russia” and insisted that Europe should “remain” united against Moscow.
But it’s not united. Hungary has so far posed any possible obstacle to EU sanctions against Russia. The Kremlin is cutting off gas to EU countries while Budapest buys extra Russian gas.
Of course, no one talks about it in Brussels as it’s against the bubble’s narrative.
Europe is once again in the middle of a global geopolitical war and totally unprepared, it’s again following the course of the events.
Let’s hope the energy bills won’t expose our nakedness.
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
