This past weekend has been a rough one for Europe.In Austria, on September 17, local time, more than 32,000 people took to the streets of cities such as Vienna to protest against rising inflation and the government's failure to address the cost of living crisis.Among the eight cities where protests broke out, about 20,000 people in the capital Vienna braved bad weather to persist in demonstrations. On the banners held by the demonstrators at the scene, slogans such as "We want to eat, warm, and survive" and "Lower prices" were written to express their dissatisfaction with the government.
In Paris, France, large-scale protests also broke out on the 17th. Thousands of protesters, holding signs and French flags, gathered in front of the Palais Royal in Paris, calling for President Emmanuel Macron's resignation and France's withdrawal from the European Union and NATO. The Russian Satellite News Agency quoted polls in its report that French people's support for sanctions against Russia is declining.
In Britain, popular anger was directed towards the new king, Charles III. On the 16th local time, Charles III came to Cardiff, the capital of Wales, to accept condolences from all walks of life, but when shaking hands with the onlookers to say hello, a man suddenly complained to him: "When we can't even pay the heating bill, And pay for your parade!" Charles III turned his head and left without responding.
The same protests have taken place in Germany, the Czech Republic and other countries before.
On September 3, about 70,000 Czechs gathered at Wenceslas Square in the center of the capital Prague, protesting that the government's "pro-Western" policy had harmed the interests of the Czech Republic, worrying that the country's economy would be destroyed by high prices.
On the 5th, in Leipzig, Germany, thousands of people protested sharp rises in energy and food prices and related government policies. In the UK, practitioners in railways, ports and other industries held strikes, demanding salary increases to hedge against soaring prices.
The European economy is being hit hard by sanctions against Russia following the United States, with protesters calling the sanctions "suicide sanctions". As the cold winter approaches, the European energy crisis is getting worse day by day, followed by serious problems such as soaring living costs and high inflation.
Inflation in 19 countries in the euro zone hit 9.1% in August, the highest level on record, according to data released by Eurostat. In Austria, where protests broke out over the weekend, it was as high as 9.3%.
Energy is the main factor driving high inflation in Europe. Eurostat said 3.95 percentage points of euro zone inflation in August came from more expensive energy. Energy prices have skyrocketed since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, having a significant impact on rising inflation, according to Germany's Federal Statistics Office. Energy prices rose sharply in July compared with the same period last year, with natural gas prices up 83.8% and gasoline and other fuel prices up 16.5%...
In addition to statistics, people's lives have been directly affected. The German media said that soaring energy bills are squeezing the patience of Europeans, and Italy has had to urge people to use "good behavior" to save energy, such as shortening the shower time, turning down the heating, and filling up the washing machine and dishwasher. Start it later...
The crisis of the EU, which is tough on Russia, is getting worse, and the surrounding "neighbors" can't stand it anymore.
On September 16, Serbian President Vucic said in an exclusive interview with the country’s media that if the EU continues to take sanctions against Russian energy, the result may be that Russia completely stops supplying natural gas to Europe, and Europe will have no gas available at that time,” Everyone will freeze."
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko expressed his attitude in another way. In a video that was circulated on social media a few days ago, Lukashenko was chopping wood in a pile of wood. He said: "We will not let Europe freeze, we will help our brothers, and they will help us one day." He also said that Europe does not have to be picky about what kind of wood is used for firewood now, the important thing is that the house should be warm.
In response to the West's accusation that "Russia caused the European energy crisis", Russian President said on the 16th that it was the West's sanctions that blocked the operation of Russia's gas pipeline to Europe. If the EU wants more natural gas, it should cancel the obstruction "North Stream- 2" sanctions for pipeline opening. "Just press the button and everything will start."
Putin said the West blamed Russia for causing the current European energy crisis, and it was entirely on others to shield them from the angry accusations of their own citizens.
However, the EU is obviously not very "obedient". Although the protesters chanted "Ukraine is the best, and only two sweaters are left for us", European Commission President von der Leyen once again stated that he would continue to support Ukraine and maintain the pressure on sanctions against Russia.
Europe is devastated, but the United States on the other side of the ocean says it "can't help." According to US media reports on the 14th, US shale oil and shale gas companies have notified European countries that they cannot provide them with additional energy in winter.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that once the European energy embargo on Russia goes into effect, oil prices will rise sharply again. Shale oil and gas companies say they cannot immediately increase production, both shale oil and shale gas. And as supplies tighten, the cost of crude oil could rise above $120 a barrel this winter.
While Europe is grappling with an energy crisis, the United States is a different story. The recently released US inflation data for August showed that energy prices have fallen by 5% month-on-month, of which gasoline prices fell by 10.6% month-on-month. Energy is not a big problem here.
Europe, which has been following the steps of the United States to sanction Russia, found that it had taken a fork in the road. Some politicians raised their arms and shouted to show their toughness, but it was ordinary Europeans who were injured, and the winter on the other side of the ocean would not be so torturous.
With winter approaching, the protests over the weekend are likely to appear more frequently on the streets of Europe. EU energy ministers are planning to hold a special meeting again on September 30. It remains to be seen whether strong measures can be taken to reverse the situation.
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