Gas-Schmäh“: Gas aus Russland kommt mehr denn je – jedoch zahlen wir für die falsche Politik

Inflation and rising energy prices have been a major concern for Austria for a long time. In 2022, energy prices skyrocketed when the black-green government announced its intention to no longer rely on Russian gas, due to Russian troops invading Ukraine. Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) and Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) boldly announced the decision to phase out Russian gas, under the condition that Russia continues to deliver. This decision was made despite the fact that even during the hottest phases of the Cold War, Russia never neglected its delivery obligations or used them as a bargaining tool. The goal was rather to punish Russia for its attack on Ukraine. Therefore, the Austrian government wanted to move away from Russian gas. Nehammer and Gewessler engaged in frantic activities such as visits to the United Arab Emirates to purchase liquefied gas. A year ago, Gewessler ordered a tanker load of liquefied gas via Genoa, which was not only much more expensive than pipeline gas, but also resulted in 247 percent more greenhouse gas emissions than coal. However, in this case, the climate didn’t matter. Gas prices tripled as a result of all this. While electricity and oil became consistently cheaper in 2023, end-user prices for district heating and gas continued to rise. Since August 2021, gas prices in Austria have tripled, and since the beginning of the year, they have increased by twenty percent. And all this against the backdrop that there has been no change in gas imports. On the contrary, Austria not only continues to import a large part of its natural gas from Russia, but the share of Russian gas has even increased. In February 2022, before the Ukraine war, 79 percent of the required energy source came from Russia, and in September of this year, 80 percent came from Russia. Already in February, unzensuriert pointed out the government’s „gas sham“ after 71 percent of the gas came from Russia in December of the previous year. According to the energy regulatory authority E-Control, the share of Russian natural gas in imports in 2023 averaged 60 percent. So, after a year and a half of government rhetoric, what remains? Gas still comes from Russia, but Austrians are paying significantly more for heating

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„Gas-Schmäh“: Mehr denn je kommt Gas aus Russland – aber wir zahlen die falsche Politik

Inflation und gestiegene Energiepreise halten Österreich seit Langem im Atem. Die Energiepreise schossen 2022 drastisch in die Höhe, als die schwarz-grüne Regierung angekündigt hatte, künftig auf russisches Gas verzichten zu wollen, weil russische Truppen in der Ukraine einmarschiert waren. „Solange Russland liefert“ Vollmundig hatten Bundeskanzler Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) und Energieministerin Leonore Gewessler (Grüne) den Ausstieg aus russischem Gas angekündigt. Und das, obwohl nicht einmal in den heißesten Phasen des Kalten Krieges Russland seine Lieferverpflichtungen vernachlässigt oder sie als Druckmittel eingesetzt hatte. Es galt vielmehr, Russland für seinen Angriff auf die Ukraine zu bestrafen. Daher sollte Österreich auf Wunsch der Regierung weg vom russischem Gas. Nehammer und Gewessler setzten hektische Aktivitäten wie Besuche in den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, um Flüssiggas einzukaufen.

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