Two drumbeats should give the citizens of Germany and the EU the feeling that there will be no new bad news over autumn and winter.

The ECB raises the key interest rate more than expected, and Robert Habeck announces the next energy saving package.

One is as necessary as the other.

The ECB wants to curb inflation, which is being driven by energy prices, which will continue to rise due to the gas shortage.

Habeck's commitment also boils down to averting a deep recession.

How much nerves are on edge can be seen in the “popular uprisings” that Annalena Baerbock casually painted on the wall.

Russia is heating up this situation to the best of its ability and still describes itself as the guarantor of European energy security.

That can only be understood as a mockery of the Europeans, but especially of Germany.

Energy security only without Russian gas

Russian natural gas is now flowing through the first Nord Stream pipeline again.

Should you breathe a sigh of relief?

Firstly, it is far too little, and secondly, only those who could do without it entirely should feel safe in the West.

Energy security is currently not guaranteed with but only without Russia.

Habeck and the President of the Federal Network Agency had to admit that Germany is still far from it.

Even the tighter fill levels and austerity they mandate will only prevent shortages if Russia keeps supplying.

Progress through regulation frenzy?

The government's new resolutions have a lot to do with private households, but are primarily aimed at storage operators who, in view of tempting prices and tight budgets, do not take filling levels so seriously and "withdraw" gas instead of storing it.

Private households, on the other hand, are much more impressed by the prospect of astronomical gas bills than by regulations and the obsession with regulations.

This winter they will also heed the logic of the energy turnaround more than Habeck would like: heating as little as possible with fossil fuels and as much as possible with electricity.

Greens and SPD are therefore unable to get rid of the issue of nuclear power.