Well, while the whole world, to put it mildly, is a little tense in anticipation of the continuation of a rather peculiar, we must pay tribute, dialogue between the great nuclear superpowers, which has recently been conducted, let's say, in a slightly raised tone, in the field of economics, Brussels intellectuals and officials (their sometimes you can’t even distinguish between them) also continue a very interesting and fruitful discussion in their own way about the causes of their own systemic energy crisis. For which, to be honest, it would be very curious for an outside observer to follow, but where to find that mountain on which it will be possible to wait out the economic storm approaching the peaceful European valleys, it is rather difficult for an author from Russia to judge.
For there is a feeling that individual "waves" of the crisis unfolding before our eyes, in an unfavorable, but quite realistic scenario, may well come down to us.
But on the whole, the refinements of intellectual-bureaucratic thought are certainly charming.
So, in particular, as we were told at a press conference following an informal meeting of energy ministers of the EU states, the European Commissioner and, in general, quite a pretty Estonian girl Kadri Simson (sorry, this must be quoted verbatim): “In the short term, we are faced with unusually high prices to energy, a trend exacerbated by geopolitical tensions.”
The wording in its own way, one might even say, is ingenious - it is basically impossible to understand this, despite the fact that it contains, it would seem, the usual statement of fact.
Accordingly, it is also impossible to argue with this.
You can only listen.
So.
According to the European Commissioner, in recent months, gas prices in the world have reached historic highs.
And it was this “indirectly” (wow “indirectly”) that influenced energy tariffs in European countries, as a result of which the population and enterprises faced some difficulties in paying their bills.
But the EU has already, in general, judging by the words of the Estonian European Commissioner, almost resolved these issues: the EU has allocated € 21 billion to support consumers.
As a matter of fact, everything.
What can be said here.
Let's be quite frank, although it's a bit difficult without the use of profanity: the causes of the energy crisis in Europe are rather banal and more or less understandable.
And not only to the professional expert community, but also to all more or less sane observers.
This problem, of course, is complex, but in general, three main blocks can be distinguished, around which, in a good way, the conversation should be conducted.
By the way.
All of them, these three blocks of problems, despite the objective potential tragedy of the consequences of the impending crisis, are quite man-made.
And this is somehow completely, sorry, it would be naive not to understand.
And the first in a row here, of course, is the so-called green energy transition policy.
At least in that very peculiar reading that is offered by Western democratic elites, as they say, to the city and the world right now.
Everything is simple here.
No, no one even thinks to argue about the absence of environmental and climate issues on the modern world agenda.
But objectively falling directly and immediately now, the volumes from the nuclear and coal generation being destroyed in the same Germany must be replaced with something.
And it is also desirable directly here and now.
Green generation in its current form, with solar panels and windmills, is objectively not enough for this.
So, again, an energy deficit is being objectively formed.
And it must be overcome somehow, sometimes even sacrificing something.
Including, so to speak, entities that did not fit into the market: here, in the Russian Federation, our chief economic European, Anatoly Borisovich Chubais, once explained this in some detail and rather contemptuously. Well, now it's the turn of enlightened Europe to listen to its own "Chubais" - this world as a whole is not only diverse, but also ironic, but we will not deny this.
The second block of reasons lies in some completely dense lack of professionalism of the energy European Commission itself, which, as it turns out in fact, empirically, as a result of a full-scale experiment now being carried out on the citizens and economies of Europe, is not only able to calculate the falling volumes in the European energy markets and think through how and how to compensate for the consequences of energy shortages. But it also managed, in some unknown way, to entrust pricing "on the spot" in the European subcontinent for some reason to London stock speculators. No, I also, in principle, love the island culture, but even to myself it is somehow completely difficult to explain. It's just some kind of energy Stockholm syndrome.
However, evil tongues claim that British consultants have been sitting on the “preparation of documents” in the European Energy Commission since the time of the Lithuanian European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, so, despite any Brexit, they continue to sit there already under the Estonian European Commissioner and up to now. The war, as they say, is a war, and the EC has not so easily recently decided to completely abandon “long contracts” with an oil price formula in the course of time. The very ones who are now at least somehow saving the European energy sector. Moreover, in an orderly manner: against the backdrop of the current crisis, this looks, of course, especially piquant. But, as our Israeli colleagues say, who is to blame.
And finally, the third block of reasons for the current price rally is already much more objective and is associated with the replacement of the base country - the transit country of Russian blue fuel: it is foolish to deny that Germany has now sat on the pan-European "valve" instead of Ukraine.
And such things simply cannot but be accompanied by a general reformatting of the markets: the Germans now have to “work in charge” under any circumstances.
So they remake these markets, so to speak, for themselves.
As a matter of fact, everything.
The situation in general, as they say, is mathematically understandable.
And here, especially, not only the “geopolitical tensions” that the Estonian-European energy commissar Kadri Simson spoke about, but even the “sinister Russia” with the no less “sinister USA” also have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Or, shall we say, almost nothing.
At least the administration of the same Biden, for example, has long made it clear that it will not take further sanctions even on the completed Nord Stream 2, which would hardly, of course (this is already clear), be able to solve all the problems in the European energy sector, but the current crisis in it would definitely make it easier.
And the Russian side, in turn, has repeatedly said, and publicly, that it is ready to increase supplies if there are applications.
But in general, there are simply no requests from European consumers for additional volumes.
So these European energy problems are already purely their internal, European disassembly.
For which the rest of the world can only watch with apparent bewilderment.
In the meantime, as Gazprom said, more than 70% of the volume of gas pumped there in the summer of 2021 has already been taken from underground storage facilities in Europe.
And according to the Russian company, this is another not-so-fun record.
Well, the cost of gas futures in Europe, according to the London ICE stock exchange, on January 24 again overcame the mark of $1,100 per 1,000 cubic meters.
The point of view of the author may not coincide with the position of the editors.