Beijing, 15 Nov (Xinhua) -- This winter has been extremely difficult for Europeans. Soaring prices, business closures, people's livelihood difficulties, economic slowdown... Since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis, some European countries have followed the US sanctions against Russia and caused their own bitter results, the road to green transformation has been frustrated, and they are mired in an energy crisis. The United States took advantage of the opportunity to make a big profit, turning the "crisis of Europe" into "opportunity for the United States", making Europe more and more embarrassing.
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Europe buys gas, the United States makes a profit
Winter is approaching, and large numbers of US LNG ships are flocking to Europe. As natural gas prices soared, U.S. energy companies and traders made a lot of money. Industry data shows that a total of 87 cargo ships loaded with LNG departed from US ports in September, with 70% of their destinations in Europe.
"Almost crazy" "incredible profits" ... Felix Booth, an energy analyst at Woteksa Consulting in the UK, commented. According to estimates, when European natural gas prices were high in August, a single shipment of LNG could net $100 million to $200 million.
Shortage of energy supply, looking for gas to save energy; Inflation has repeatedly reached new highs, moving into double digits; The economy is sliding to the brink of recession... With the anti-Japanese effect of sanctions against Russia, European countries have to bear the serious consequences of following the United States.
On October 18, the vehicle passed the European Commission headquarters building in Brussels, Belgium. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zheng Huansong
At the same time, affected by the aggressive interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve, the exchange rate of the euro against the dollar fell to a 20-year low, pushing up the price of dollar-denominated commodities and bringing high bills to Europe; Under the energy crisis, European industries have fallen into the dilemma of enterprise relocation and industrial transfer, while the United States has become the main destination for capacity undertaking with lower energy prices and subsidies.
Take advantage of the fire and robbery, mercenary is the motive. French President Emmanuel Macron publicly accused the United States of selling oil at low prices at home and dumping goods at high prices in Europe after the EU summit, saying that the United States obtained excess profits from geopolitical battles; German Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Climate Protection Habeck alluded to the US windfall on the Ukraine crisis; Hungarian Prime Minister Orban even bluntly said that European sanctions hit him in the foot, and "it's time to talk with the United States about the consequences of sanctions against Russia."
Poland: Soaring coal prices and increased pollution
Among European countries, Poland is a large consumer of coal power, which accounts for about 70% of the country's supply and is dependent on imported coal. According to the Polish National Bureau of Statistics, 75% of the country's hard coal imports in 2020 came from Russia. However, this year, Poland followed the United States in imposing a "coal ban" on Russia, and stopped importing Russian coal in April, before the European Union imposed the ban.
This is a night view of Warsaw's Old Town in smoggy weather taken on October 31. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Chen
The forcible severance of normal trade with major energy partners has exacerbated energy supply shortages, forcing businesses and citizens to pay for the sanctions. At present, the price of Polish coal has soared more than four times that of the same period last year, and the annual electricity price is expected to rise by 24%.
"Not everyone can afford a 500 percent increase in fuel prices," Ioanna Matskoviak-Pendra, who served as Poland's deputy environment minister, said in an interview with reporters, adding that many Polish families did not have enough coal before the onset of winter, "and now we are facing heating problems... Importing coal from other countries involves transportation and distribution channels, which are huge challenges."
A resident of Warsaw, Poland, turns down the heating temperature on November 3. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Chen Chen
In order to reduce people's heating costs and solve the problem of energy shortage in winter, the Polish government decided in June to suspend the implementation of coal quality standards for household heating. In this regard, Peter Sergei, a spokesman for the Polish Smog Alert Organization, a well-known local air quality monitoring organization, said that energy shortages, soaring prices, and relaxation of coal quality specifications are all drivers of the deterioration of air quality in Poland. "Now that energy prices are soaring, people are choosing the cheapest fuel, and there is even a situation of burning garbage for heating." In the face of the coming severe winter, if the meteorological conditions deteriorate, the pollution will be worse than in previous years.
Hungary: Traditional pastries become luxuries
Gerbo cake is one of Hungary's most famous desserts, with layers of walnut apricot jam filling covered with chocolate. For Hungarians, Christmas and Easter without Gerbo cake are unthinkable. Today, this traditional pastry is a luxury for many people. In some dessert shops in the center of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, a small piece of Gerbo cake has sold for more than 1,000 forints ($1 is about 395 forints).
This is an egg photographed at a farmers' market in Budapest, Hungary, on November 10. Hungary's Prime Minister's Office Minister Guyáš announced on November 9 that the government had decided to include eggs and potatoes in the list of food products protected by price caps. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Verdi Otillo)
Since the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, the price of raw materials for making pastries in the Hungarian market has been increasing. With the recent surge in gas and electricity prices, pastry prices have risen even higher. On the outskirts of Budapest, bakery owner Kish Margit told reporters that many customers gave up expensive desserts in favor of buying regular bread, and her shop should no longer stock Gerbo cakes in the near future.
The current price of electricity in Hungary has doubled compared to the same period last year, and the price of natural gas has increased sevenfold. To save on her energy bills, Margit took the "extraordinary measure" by turning off all heating valves and replacing them with electric heaters, with only one of the three freezers still running. Even so, Marget's energy bill has risen quite a bit. In September, the cost of gas in stores soared from HUF 3,000 a few months ago to HUF 19,000, and the cost of electricity increased from HUF 45,000 to HUF 110,000. Faced with a high energy bill, Margit had the idea of selling her shop.
Kiš Marget, a bakery owner on the outskirts of Budapest, Hungary, works inside the shop on October 19. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Verdi Otillo)
The difficulties faced by Margit bakery are also experienced by many small and medium-sized enterprises in Hungary. László Kovacs, president of the Hungarian Restaurant Association, warned: "We are on the verge of closing our stores, and many restaurants may start closing from January next year. He stressed that dessert shops and bakeries with higher energy costs will bear the brunt.
Sweden: Cold nights without lights
Winters in the Nordic country of Sweden are cold and long, with only a few hours of daylight visible. In previous years, despite the long nights, the beautiful illuminations that illuminate the alleys, squares and houses have always brought solace. But in the face of the current energy dilemma, Sweden may not be able to light up the warm lights as usual this year.
Since the 50s, the old town of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, has had a tradition of lighting up Christmas lights, even when the coronavirus outbreak hit. In winter, the two main streets are illuminated by brilliant and colorful lights, creating a warm festive atmosphere in the cold and cold nights. However, this year, Sweden was hit by the energy crisis, electricity prices soared, and the old city lighting project was forced to stop due to huge costs.
A lighting store in Stockholm, Sweden, had to "to" skyrocketing electricity prices to display its goods. (Video screenshot)
Since the escalation of the Ukraine crisis, Western sanctions against Russia have hindered their own energy supplies, and Sweden's inflation rate has continued to rise. According to the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics, electricity prices rose 54.2% in September compared to the same period last year. Inflation in Sweden reached 9.7% in September, driven by rising electricity and food prices.
Granström, head of infrastructure at Stockholm Municipality, said that in order to reduce expenses, the city has even shortened the lighting time of street lights this winter and replaced energy-efficient light bulbs whenever possible; The Swedish Power Grid Corporation recently warned that load shedding may be implemented for the first time this winter, temporarily cutting off household power supply in some areas to ensure grid security and power transmission; In October, the Swedish Energy Agency launched the "Every Kilowatt-Hour Counts" initiative, which requires people to lower indoor heating temperatures, shorten bathing hours, and turn off electrical appliances during the cold winter months.
For Granström, these measures are a reminder that "we are in the midst of an energy crisis." (Reporters: Kang Yi, He Miao, Fu Yiming, Chen Hao, Chen Chen, Zhang Zhang, Yu Shuaishuai, Li Jizhi, Li Xiaopeng, Tang Ji, Zhou Yue, Zhu Sheng, Pan Geping; Reporting by: Verdi Otillo, Molna Guézo; Editor: Sun Shuo; Editors: Xu Xiaolei, Ma Xiao, Diao Ze, Xu Chao, Yu Maofeng, Ma Zhan, Sun Oumeng, Xu Jiatong, Fan Yu, Du Jing, Fu Yunwei, Liu Yifang, Ouyang Wei, Miao Peiyuan)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform