October 10. The deadline for all municipalities in the Netherlands to end their contracts with Gazprom. In April this year (2022), the Dutch minister of Climate and Energy declared:
About 120 municipalities purchase gas from the Russian state-owned company. Jetten calls it "undesirable that we as European countries contribute to the Russian treasury in this way."
Undesirable it is. But also not quite doable.
The VNG (Association of Dutch Municipalities - n.a.) previously said that banning Russian gas from the Dutch market would not work. All energy suppliers purchase gas on an international market where countries, including Russia, offer collective gas.
Of course, everything starts from the top of the European Union, with the famous Ursula von der Leyen stating the massive sanctions against Russia early this year:
Later today, we will present a package of massive and targeted sanctions, to European Leaders for approval. With this package, we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to technologies and markets that are key for Russia. We will weaken Russia's economic base and its capacity to modernise. And in addition, we will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop the access of Russian banks to European financial markets.
All good in theory, but these decisions made for the political facade have a huge negative impact on the economical side of things. Where most of the people live their daily lives.
The city council in The Hague has asked the government for permission to extend its contract with Russian state gas supplier Gazprom because it is unable to find an alternative.
These municipalities are unable to find alternatives to the Russia gas. And when you think that a couple of months ago, all the politicians were playing the same tune: do not worry, we can find alternatives to the Russia gas, and everything will be as it was before minus Russia.
Well, The Hague is not the only one in this situation:
Around 120 Dutch councils are estimated to be still searching for a replacement for Gazprom Energy, with the hugely inflated prices making the task even more challenging
Basically all of them.
And the situation is not quite rosy in the rest of the European Union.
Europe imports about 60% of its gas demand according to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, with Russia supplying about a third of European gas consumption; 152 billion cubic metres (bcm) by pipeline and 17bcm as liquefied natural gas (LNG). The dependence on Russian gas varies by country, with Germany and Italy importing the highest volumes.
The whole craziness around Russia gas replacement is aggravated also by years of disastrous green energy policies. And even if EU will find somehow the gas replacement (which it sounds already unicorn dreams), they will find it at a much higher price than one year ago. Which will fuel even more the rise of prices everywhere.
Just a short intermezzo here: the Netherlands confirmed an official inflation number of 13,6 % in August. European Central Bank, the main cause of this inflation, is still sleeping on a 0% interest rate.
OK, now let's go back to the politicians "managing" this crisis:
But Jetten said on Friday that he expected local authorities to stick to the deadline, even if it meant soaring gas bills this winter. ‘That is the price you have to pay for no longer filling the coffers of a warmongering dictator,’ he said.
And by you, he means the citizens that are paying his salary. The same ones that need to be protected by the elected ones.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is willing to sacrifice her own people over Ukraine:
“We are facing now wintertime, when we will be challenged as democratic politicians. People will go in the street and say ‘We cannot pay our energy prices’. And I will say ‘Yes I know, so we help you with social measures.’ But I don’t want to say ‘Ok then we stop the sanctions against Russia.’ We will stand with Ukraine, and this means the sanctions will stay also in wintertime, even if it gets really tough for politicians.”
No matter what my German voters think, but I want to deliver to the people of Ukraine,
If the voters don't matter anymore, what's the point of so call democracy?! Or is the Germany on the brink of a dictatorship as well? Isn't it quite ironic that we're talking about measures against Putin, the warmongering dictator by playing the same script?
There is no accountability for their actions anymore. The same as with the COVID campaign, everyone should play the same song. Everyone is forced to play the same song. And even if, after lockdowns and forced vaccination, and destroyed economies, we look back and see the mistakes, still no one is held accountable for them. And it's the same now with the whole anti-Russia campaign. Everyone should sacrifice, to fulfill some delusional dreams of the top of the pyramid. Meanwhile, Russia is selling even more natgas to India and China. And everyone else that thinks that economical suicide is not on their list.
And we're wondering how it's even possible that half of the Dutch residents have little or no trust in politics? After this winter, or the next one, when they will realize that inflation is here to stay for a long time, maybe the lack of trust will transform, little by little, in hate.
