Do you think Germany is a European industrial giant? Wrong! In fact, it has been surpassed by Russia
Germany, once Europe's industrial giant, is now facing an unprecedented crisis. Industrial production in Germany has been declining since 2017. To make matters worse, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2022 led to a disruption of German energy** and a further decline in Germany's industrial output. Many century-old factories are closing, and others are moving production to lower-cost countries. German industry is fighting for its own throat like a lion.
Germany's gas crisis has left people and industry in a difficult position.
Natural gas is used in factories and power stations in Germany, and many other processes are needed for heating, cooling, drying, etc. Now that natural gas is soaring, the cost of production in Germany has also increased, causing German products to lose their advantage in the international market. Some large energy-consuming enterprises in Germany, such as steel, aluminum, cement, chemicals, etc., have had to take measures such as shutdowns, layoffs, and transfers, which have dealt a serious blow to the German economy and employment.
To protect the climate, Germany plans to shut down all nuclear power plants by 2030 and phase out coal power in favor of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. However, these new energy sources are not developing fast enough or stable enough to meet Germany's electricity needs. Especially in winter and at night, wind and solar power generation will be significantly reduced, leading to power shortages. Germany will have to reopen a few coal-fired power stations to make up for the power shortage. In this way, Germany's carbon emissions will increase, contrary to Germany's carbon neutrality goals.
Energy** has skyrocketed, pushing inflation in Germany to its highest point in nearly 30 years, and consumer confidence and purchasing power have plummeted. German residents are afraid to spend money indiscriminately, so they have to save money, but mortgages and real estate investment are not sustainable, and the German construction industry is struggling. Germany's economic outlook is worrying.
Germany's constant energy costs have a lot to do with Russian gas.
Half of Germany's gas is imported from Russia, which is cheaper than gas from other countries, so German factories can save on production costs. However, due to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Russia is sending less and less gas to Germany**, Germany's gas stock is getting smaller and smaller, and natural gas ** is getting higher and higher, even more expensive than other countries.
Germany realizes that it cannot rely solely on Russian gas or renewable energy, but must find and use energy from multiple sources to ensure stability and reliability. Germany is building a road called"Nord Stream 2"(Nord Stream II), which transports gas directly from Russia without going through countries such as Ukraine. Germany also cooperates with countries such as Norway, Algeria and Qatar to import natural gas or liquefied natural gas from these countries. Germany is also considering the possibility of keeping some nuclear power plants running for longer periods of time so that they don't run out of energy. Germany is also investing in more energy efficiency and energy-saving technologies to reduce energy waste.
A survey conducted by the Federation of German Industries last September showed that German industrial companies are moving investments abroad because they are concerned about energy instability and high costs. The German chemical industry is one of the most affected by the shortage of Russian gas. BASF and Lanxess, two of Europe's largest chemical giants, have had to lay off workers on a large scale to cope with the pressure of the energy crisis. Tire manufacturers in France and the United States are also closing or reducing their factories in Germany to reduce costs. Germany's finance minister admitted that Germany has lost its competitiveness, economic growth has stagnated, and wealth has been lost.
The West wants to destroy Russia"。This is the shocking speech of Vladimir Putin at the end of 2023. Vladimir Putin said that the West is playing a game that wants to destroy Russia and deprive the Russian people of their happiness. He called on the West to stop being hostile to Russia and instead work hand in hand with Russia to develop the economy, which is beneficial to both sides. However, the German leader obeyed the command of the United States and did some stupid things that were not good for the country, such as allowing the United States to blow up the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
The Nord Stream pipeline is an important natural gas artery from Russia to Germany, which can bring a large amount of low-cost energy to Germany, thereby significantly reducing Germany's production costs and enhancing Germany's industrial strength. However, the United States has tried its best to block this project, because it is afraid of losing control of European energy, so it does not hesitate to use force to blow the Nord Stream pipelines to pieces so that it can no longer ** natural gas.
Instead of stepping forward, Germany officially followed the instructions of the United States to buy expensive liquefied natural gas from the United States in order to supplement its energy needs. In this way, Germany not only lost a reliable energy partner, but also plunged its own economy into crisis. Made in Germany"It used to be the pride of Germany and the driving force of Europe, but with the decline in the competitiveness of products and the loss of market share by other countries, Made in Germany is now dead. The German people are also feeling the pressure of life because their cost of living has not kept up with their incomes.
The Germans accidentally fell into the pit they had dug, but refused to admit their mistake and instead blamed Russia, saying that Russia's malicious interference and threats had caused Germany's predicament. This is a distortion of the facts and a disappointment with the German people. The German authorities should face up to their problems and re-examine their foreign policy strategy, instead of being a puppet of the United States.