A former ECB chief says the lack of access to cheap energy from Russia has undermined the bloc’s competitive advantage
The global economic competitiveness of the European Union has been substantially eroded due to the loss of cheap energy from Russia, former European Central Bank president Mario Draghi said on Monday.
A wide-ranging report presented by Draghi indicated that reducing energy prices, raising competitiveness, and strengthening defense investment are among the top priorities for the bloc’s policymakers.
According to the politician, who served as Italy’s prime minister in 2021-2022, member states have been struggling to cope with higher energy prices and can no longer rely on open foreign markets.
“Europe has abruptly lost its most important supplier of energy, Russia,” Draghi said, emphasising that geopolitical stability was waning, while the region’s “dependencies have turned out to be vulnerabilities.”
The politician and economist acknowledged that energy prices have considerably fallen from their peaks, but stressed that EU companies are still dealing with electricity prices that are 150% higher than those in the US, while paying nearly 350% more for natural gas....more below
https://www.rt.com/business/603712-draghi-eu-energy-prices-warning/
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Sun Tzu, The Art of War
The Empire of Chaos is relentless. Lawfare, destabilizations, sanctions, kidnappings, color revolutions, false flags, annexations: 2025 will be the year of BRICS – plus BRICS partners – as choice targets under fire.
Inestimable Prof. Michael Hudson coined “chaos” as official US policy. That’s bipartisan – and it runs across all silos of the Deep State.
In the absence of long-term strategic vision, and amidst the progressive imperial expulsion from Eurasia, all that’s left for the Hegemon is to unleash chaos from West Asia to Europe and parts of Latin America – a concerted attempt to Divide and Rule BRICS and thwart their collective drive affirming sovereignty and the primacy of national ...
While NATO may be yearning to take on Russia in the Arctic, many of its troops lack the necessary expertise for survival in such extreme conditions.
Although NATO forces regularly participate in drills in the region, many remain unprepared for the harsh realities of Arctic life.
Though NATO forces routinely participate in the bloc’s drills in the region, many of them are still not prepared to survive in the Arctic’s harsh conditions, The Sun reports citing Minna Alander, a researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
"Not all NATO allies have the capabilities that are needed and that work in the Arctic environment and climate,” Alander said.....more below
