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Europe’s energy crisis is rekindling

By Costas Raptis

Stakeholders argue that this is a technical issue, without political dimensions. But around them abound the neo-Cold War chants of those who have set as their primary political goal the cancellation of the operation of the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. “Frozen” winter, possibly with a blackout and a slump in energy consumption.The crisis of last September is coming back – but this time in a geopolitical environment much more strained.

The German Federal Network Service suspended the licensing of Nord Stream 2 this week, requesting that the company be set up in accordance with German law. The certification process, which is expected to last until January or even March, will thaw, according to the same service, after the Swiss parent company Nord Stream 2 AG set up a German subsidiary, to which it will transfer the respective assets, especially for the section of the pipeline passing through the territory of Germany. Until then, the wait is mandatory, as in case of non-certification, there is a risk of fines.

The German Ministry of Economy hastened to speak of a “formal procedure”, assuring that the safety assessment of the project is not expected to be affected.

But the Russian side also appears calm. ” In this case there are indeed specific protocols of European legislation. “And the management company is ready to meet all the requirements, so that this important project for everyone can be put into operation as soon as possible,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peshkov, adding: “Nord Stream-2 certification is a quite a complicated process and this was perceived right from the start. In any case, Peshkov argued that the energy crisis in Europe and the opening of the pipeline in the Baltic Sea are “two processes, which, although taking place in the same sector, are not interconnected.”

The Greens are congratulating

We must therefore attribute to … satanic coincidence the fact that the US attempted to end sanctions on the completion of Nord Stream 2 while it was still under construction or that the Commission revised the Community energy framework, but was unable to retroactively cancel the project. The language of simple trade used by Moscow and Berlin cannot eliminate the reality of geopolitics, which sees in Nord Stream 2 the building of a relationship of dependence, threatening the unity of the Atlantic area.

After all, even within Germany, there is no lack of political forces that do not share at all the traditionally warm feelings of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats for cooperation with Russia. And it is precisely these forces that have the decisive say in the ongoing processes of forming a new federal government. Regulators have no reason to be in a hurry, as long as the political landscape remains murky.

Thus, the Liberals declare, through the head of the Energy Department Hagen Reinhold, that “the legal conditions of the pipeline are being properly checked”, although “the door is still open”, while the vice-president of the Green Group He reiterated that Nord Stream 2 “does not need” and that in any case it will have no role in the energy market this winter.

Price jump

Only the acceleration of the licensing process of Nord Stream 2 was the implied “secret” of the energy aid offered by Vladimir Putin this winter, while it was already clear that Europe’s reserves were extremely inadequate.

And they have remained so ever since, as the Russian supply strictly complied with existing contractual obligations, while at the same time the accumulation of geopolitical tensions cast a shadow over whether they would continue to be met.

With prices already rising, following the outbreak of the migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border and NATO reports of a 100,000-strong Russian military presence near the border with Ukraine, news from the German Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday brought new of 8%, at 101.30 euros per megawatt hour, for the December contract in the Netherlands, a benchmark for the whole of Europe, returning to the previous month high, while the contract for January gained 7.8% to 101.61 euros per megawatt hour.

At the same time, the United Europe continues to face a power shortage of 32 million cubic meters of gas per day, with reserves amounting to 52% in Austria, 61% in the Netherlands and 69% in Germany at a time of year they should be full.

The role of Poland and Britain

Germany ‘s decisions regarding the operation of Nord Stream 2 were prescribed, to the extent that Poland was determined to bring an immediate action before the European Court of Justice for breach of Community law.

The Polish government is explicitly trying to cancel the project, which bypasses it, by paralleling it more or less with the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which in 1939 divided Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. In addition to her own strategic concerns, she appears as an advocate for Ukraine, as projects such as Nord Stream 2 are at the heart of Moscow’s plan to cut off Russian gas flows through Ukrainian territory.

But Britain is more active than anyone else, with Boris Johnson warning the EU. that it is faced with a “choice” between the “pro-Ukraine rally” and the adoption of Nord Stream 2. It is no coincidence that Britain is also active on the other front in the region, announcing the deployment of troops to the Polish-Belarusian border, the At the same time, the Franco-German axis is trying to de-escalate tensions with Angela Merkel’s telephone conversations with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Emanuel Macron with Vladimir Putin.

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Source From: Capital

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