Decisions Taken in the Past Put Germany's Energy Policy in Trouble

Germany, which has a highly developed social market economy, started to have hard times after the decisions it took against Russia.

Decisions taken in the past put Germanyn’s energy policy in trouble. Germany, which did not accept the statement that Russia will receive payment in rubles for the export of energy products, activated the first stage of its emergency plan. The German government, one of the largest economies in Europe, has put its energy policy into a difficult situation by refusing Russia's request to be paid in rubles for energy sales. The fact that the dependency on Russian gas increased to 55 percent during the Merkel government has caused Germany to experience difficult times these days. Stating that they were able to reduce this dependency to only 40 percent in the first quarter of 2022 with the measures they took, Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck has been heavily criticizing the decisions taken in the past. Minister of Economy and Climate Robert Habeck said, "Energy policy is always a policy of power. It is always a policy of interest. It is impossible to understand how we ignored it." Explaining that it will not be possible for Germany to get rid of its dependence on Russian gas until 2024, he stated that they have put into effect the first leg of a 3-stage emergency energy action plan. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said, “Germany knew the risks of Russian gas, but did nothing. And now we are living the consequences of this in the most brutal way.”