Filenews 16 August 2022
By Maria Tadeo
The mayor of Vigo in Galicia, Spain, has already begun to prepare for the city's annual Christmas "extravaganza". This is despite the Spanish Government's attempt to reduce electricity consumption in cooperation with the European Union. Turning off the lights, the mayor argues, would give Vladimir Putin a victory if the spirit of the holidays - and the expenses that accompany it - were crushed by the war.
One would think that in the context of a looming energy crisis, the installation of lights would be ranked at the end of the list of priorities. Loving Christmas like no other, I hope this year they come wrapped in a reality test – for everyone.
Short-sighted
In Spain, energy-saving measures came into force last week: air conditioning is set at 27 degrees Celsius (80.5 degrees Fahrenheit), shop windows must "blacken" from 10 p.m., and state buildings must dim their "lights". This has sparked heated debates between the central government, regional administrations and tourist destinations such as Madrid, where nightlife only begins after nine o'clock in the evening.
It is a miniature of how unprepared - emotionally and practically - Europeans in general are for the potentially darkest winter that the continent will have experienced in decades.
The right-wing head of the Madrid region, Isabel Diath Ayuso, is one of the leading voices against the new containment rules. She became famous by keeping the city open for doing business during much of the pandemic. Now, she argues that self-isolation will destroy jobs, scare away tourists and hinder public safety.
It highlights two logical points: the Spanish Government has rushed to issue the measures without having reached a broad consensus and without a convincing narrative in order to justify a response to a winter crisis in the middle of summer. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's symbolic move not to wear a tie during official work — to "make up for" the closure of air conditioning — was seen as insignificant and as symbolism. To a large extent it was ignored.
However, it would be foolish and short-sighted for Diaz Ayuso and Madrid to continue without restrictions. And the conflict transcends Spain's borders. In France, President Emmanuel Macron is set to unveil a plan for "energy restraint", which is essentially a clone of Spanish measures. It is possible that he will meet the same resistance.
His rival, Marine Le Pen, argues that European sanctions on Russian action have failed and the French will be paying their bills this winter. With wholesale electricity costs reaching new all-time highs for Paris, Le Pen is trying to influence working-class voters by presenting herself as the prospective defender of purchasing power.
Germany is likely to feel the overwhelmingly heavier burden of the "Russian winter", but Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently downplayed fears of winter unrest expressed by the media, even as the Federal Network Agency - the country's energy regulator - called on consumers to reduce consumption and keep aside money for the bills that will come along with the cold weather. Companies like Deutsche Bank are even going beyond the voluntary measures set by the government.
In Italy, caretaker Prime Minister Mario Draghi caused controversy by saying that Italians should choose between comfortable use of the air conditioner and Helping Ukraine. However, no candidate is talking about this issue during the election campaign that precedes the vote in the general parliamentary elections on 25 September. This will make the bill even heavier (or colder) when winter comes – and the potential reaction from an unprepared electorate will be even more unpredictable.
Under the carpet
For months, European officials have swept every discussion under the carpet. First they wanted to save the summer tourist season, which is a cash cow which provides much of the growth of the second quarter of the year for many countries. Secondly, governments did not want to cause panic among consumers. It was not until July that public discourse produced by Brussels and national governments began to reflect the concerns expressed behind closed doors. It's a bit late for a reality check – which the political class on a pan-European scale still prevents.
The result: ordinary European citizens have not fully internalised the "anomaly" of the coming winter. The fact that dimmed lights and limited air conditioning trigger such an intense debate is not a good sign. In December, the fuss around such issues will seem insignificant if Russia further instrumentalizes energy as a weapon. It is simply discouraging to imagine what the effect will be on lower-income families, who will be forced to choose between paying for food or paying for heating.
It is now clear that Putin wants to turn the EU and its sanctions on its back and make it pay hard for them. This will happen more effectively through division, mistrust and disinformation among Europeans.
This is not the time for petty party politics. What is needed now is a sober assessment that runs horizontally and transcends party lines and brings solutions. It is too late to face the harsh reality.
Source: BloombergOpinion
