In the vastness of the north of the Netherlands, between pasture and farmland, Huizinge rises gently.

A terp village, so once built on a heaped up hill to protect against flooding.

The Janskerk, a 13th-century church in the transitional Romanesque-Gothic style, is enthroned at the highest point – four meters above the surrounding area – imposing for a town of just 130 inhabitants.

The main road is quickly walked, at the end of the village it bends to the left, reaching the former Plaats Melkema farm.

Many generations of the Huizinga family lived here, which produced what is probably the country's most famous cultural historian, Johan Huizinga.

Klaus Max Smolka

Editor in Business.

  • Follow I follow

The houses appear well-kept, damage is not visible at first glance.

Not anymore, one has to say.

And: not at the moment.

Because Huizinge is in the earthquake area of ​​the province of Groningen, it was even the epicenter of the strongest tremor to date in August 2012, measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale.

The ground has been shaking here in the Northeast for a long time, and it's shaking more and more violently.

The first earthquake was officially registered in 1986, and after a long dispute the cause was officially recognized: natural gas production, which began more than 60 years ago.

It has contributed to the prosperity of the EU's fifth largest economy - but also meant that damaged houses had to be dismantled.

And that many thousands of Groningers continue to live in endangered buildings.

Germany needs more gas

The problem also affects Germany, because the government in The Hague decided in 2018 to reduce funding in Groningen year after year.

Too much resentment had built up.

Residents are fighting for damages, their trust in authorities and politics is as shaken as the ground beneath them.

According to plan, it should be over at the end of this year - just like the last three nuclear power plants in Germany are to be taken off the grid.

What phasing out nuclear energy is to Germany, phasing out natural gas is to the Netherlands.

It would be extremely tricky to change that – and yet the debate is now brewing.

In view of the gas crisis, is it still tenable to turn off the tap in Groningen?

At the beginning of January, even before the Russian attack on Ukraine, it became apparent that Groningen would have to produce more gas than planned this year, partly because the importing country Germany reported contractually secured additional requirements - which led to behind-the-scenes discussions between the two governments.

The situation has now worsened due to the war.

Although the Netherlands itself has imported more and more natural gas from Russia in recent years, it is only one-seventh dependent on it.

They want to bring imports to zero by the end of the year.

The government has announced austerity measures to fill the stores.

Coal-fired power plants are allowed to run at full power again, thus relieving the burden on gas-fired power plants.

Of course, continuing to operate Groningen would still help