Winter is coming. After two years of health restrictions, Europeans will have to deal with other strict measures, this time related to energy. On Wednesday July 20, the European Commission presented its plan to deal with possible gas cuts by Russia; it calls on Member States to reduce their energy consumption by 15%. For its part, the French government has called on its fellow citizens to multiply their daily efforts.
Europe wants to counter Russia with a “war economy”
Last March, the Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire mentioned a “total economic and financial war on Russia”aiming neither more nor less than a “collapse of the Russian economy”. Words for which he immediately backpedaled, fearing a military escalation between Russia and Europe. However, the European Union has striven to punish Russia with all its might, provoking its anger…
“Russia supplied Europeans with some 150 billion cubic meters of gas in 2021, or 40% of EU imports”, according to Le Figaro. But since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian giant Gazprom has reduced the flow to less than a third. Following the showdown between Moscow and the West, Europe expected the energy company to turn off the tap. The announcement of the return to service of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and of new scheduled deliveries to Germany gave Europeans a brief breath of hope… But that did not last.
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For Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, “Russia uses energy as a weapon”, according to Euronews. And to add: “In any case, whether it is a partial and major cut of Russian gas or a total cut of Russian gas, Europe must be ready”.
In one of “pires” scenarios envisaged by Ursula von der Leyen, Westerners will have to prepare for a shortage of gas this winter. To deal with this eventuality, which threatens all Europeans, the Commission presented its plan on 20 July, providing for reduce European gas demand by 15%. Moreover, the arsenal of measures presented by Brussels also includes the “limitation of the heating of certain buildings”or the incentive “companies to reduce their needs”as reported by Ouest France.
On the French side, the watchword will be the same: consume less energy. On the one hand, the President of the Republic brandishes a “energy sobriety plan”, on the other hand, the government spokesperson considers that the French will have to “small gestures” to save energy. Just a little more effort…
See also: Ecology: “Great energy sobriety plan” or climate pass?
“Small everyday gestures” for citizens
It was at the end of the Council of Ministers of July 20 that the government put the gas. After having been Minister of Health, Olivier Véran takes his (not so) new role as spokesperson very seriously. He stated : “We are asking citizens, French women and men, to make an effort”considering that there is no “small gesture” in terms of energy. All of this is reminiscent of the tone of his remarks relating to the health crisis, which some would have preferred to forget. But, as Emmanuel Macron said, “the war will last”.
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Citing a few examples, the former minister listed energy instructions: “When we go away for the weekend or on vacation, we unplug as many electrical outlets as possible because otherwise they continue to consume energy”. He also called for turn off wifiat “turn down the air conditioning a little, now that the temperatures are expected to drop”and turn off the light “in rooms that are not used”.
According to Olivier Véran, the French will not be “forced” to consume less energy: “It’s not our philosophy”, he assured. He also recalled that the State and companies were going to take measures on their side. For now, it’s basically “to citizens, to French women and men” that the government asks “an effort”. The government prepares minds.
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For Bruno Le Maire, it is necessary “that we accelerate our energy independence”. Remarks fed by Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who confirms that we can “have tensions on the gas this winter”. In any case, for Olivier Véran, “every energy that we are collectively able to save today is energy that we will be sure to have available next fall and winter”.
Ultimately, it is the Europeans who suffer from the warlike behavior of Western leaders. Certain political personalities have been deploring this for several months now: Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, insisted that the EU “shot himself in the lungs”. For his part, Henri Guaino, former special adviser to Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2012) and UMP-LR deputy, assured last May: “We are walking towards war like sleepwalkers”.
In view of the recent popular revolts observed internationally, it remains to be seen whether the war will not be civil first and foremost…
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