It is quite understandable that the rage of the population, is meanwhile growing. The utility bills are burned in Italy. Germany may get its own yellow vests. In the Czech Republic, the government was given an ultimatum - it should resign, in the opinion of local residents. Moldova has uprised: the population lights candles and demands "change".
The situation with the economic crisis is also fueled by the absurd solutions that officials propose for the exit: to stock up firewood, to heat the house with cherry pits and even grain. Winter is approaching, and already promises to be hot, though not from the climatic, but from the political point of view. Read more in the feature of Ekaterina Tikhomirova.
Europe will have to pay for decades of plundering, spoiled and parasitic life, writes the Serbian publication "Pechat", noting that the judgment of the goddess Nemezida is coming. Events, indeed, are rapidly developing against the background of an energy crisis. Hot political autumn and absolutely unpredictable winter. Unrest, riots and uprisings are predicted in 101 countries. All this happens because of the rising prices of energy, fuel and food.
The Czech Republic shivered and woke up: Zlata Praha hasn't seen anything like this in a very long time, since crowded protests have hardly ever happened in this city. About 100,000 Czechs came to Wenceslas Square in Prague, protesting against the policies of the current authorities. People protest against their policy on green energy, against the support of Ukraine, against the price increase caused by all this.
There were also those who demanded withdrawal from the EU and NATO. There were really not many of them, but the demands for the resignation of the government sounded very loud. And the protesters gave the government an ultimatum - if the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala does not leave, it will be helped by force. Czechs, the incredible, right?
Josef Stredula, President of the Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions:
The today's demonstration clearly demonstrates the results of the government's poor performance and people's fears for the future. If the government does not understand this and does not take action to protect people and companies, then I will not continue to demonstrate, but will be gaining strength.
The Czech Republic has not known inflation of 18% for 30 years, as well as other inconveniences that its inhabitants now face. And Fiala is very afraid of resigning early. And in January, the presidential election will be held. So the Czech autumn, followed by winter, is already promised to be hot, not from the climatic, but from the political point of view.
However, such a situation awaits the entire Europe. Gas shortages could split Europe, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said. The question is whether the EU will be able to ensure solidarity with Ukraine.
Annalena Baerbock, Minister of Foreign Affairs (Germany):
The real problem, like an elephant standing in the room, is an energy issue. This is a central issue that will really be a test for us in the coming months.
And this elephant, as Baerbock put it, had already crushed industrial enterprises, the Germans lost their jobs. The index of social stability in Germany fell for one quarter of 2022 by almost a whole point and now stands at 6 points. This is worse than in the Balkan Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example. The scale ranges from 0 to 10, where 0 is a big risk of unrest and 10 indicates a high level of harmony in society.
Many citizens are outraged by the policies pursued by Berlin. The popularity rating of the so-called traffic light coalition has reached a historic low. And now the publication Welt constitutes: the rage of the German population is growing rapidly and the likelihood of the appearance of their "yellow vests" in Germany is now high.
This week, several thousand people protested against rising prices in Germany, as well as the government of Olaf Scholz.
Sevim Dagdelen:
We must not allow the authorities to calm us down, fool us and intimidate us. Mass protests are needed - against the gas fee, in support of limiting energy prices, as well as for the introduction of a tax on super incomes for those who profit from the crisis - energy concerns, pharmaceutical giants and military industry enterprises. These are the minimum requirements for this hot autumn. And down with the economic sanctions that are ruining us!
However, European officials do not deviate from their policy of absurdity even a step. And they offer innovative and creative approaches to the interruption. What Poles will be heating their homes with in winter against the backdrop of rising coal prices? Use everything that burns well. This is a recommendation from the gray cardinal of the Polish government Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland's ruling Law and Solidarity party (Poland):
Now you have to heat and burn everything except, of course, the tires and the like, because Poland just needs to be heated.
Heating with grain or cherry pits. It sounds absurd, but this is a fact. The Polish edition of Fakt calculated that wheat is really cheaper for heating: a ton costs about 1.5 thousand zlotys, but a ton of coal costs 3 thousand. In general, suggestions to stoke the stoves with grain this winter sound suspiciously often in Europe. On Twitter, deputy of the Kekava municipal duma Juris Jerums made an amazing innovative proposal for the current winter. Heating tariffs have jumped as much as 8 times in the Kekava municipality. And Jerums says he has already tried to burn wheat - and it burned normally.
Juris Jerums:
If now the price of grain is 350 euros per ton, then it is profitable to heat with grain instead of pellet (about 500 euros per ton). I tried the green Grande - weedy barley comes in its pure form, and as for the wheat barley, you need to mix it 50 to 50. Yes, adjust the feed, yes, more ash.
Don't you think that such a progressive and democratic West has played a trick on the poorest countries in the world. Remember how loudly they shouted, that African children will starve to death without Ukrainian grain. And only 2 out of 87 ships with grain went to their destination, 60,000 tons out of 2 million tons delivered. That's 3%. And all the rest was pocketed by the West. In other words, the topic of world hunger a couple of months ago was simply peddled in order to "turn" the world against Belarus and Russia. Alexander Lukashenko spoke about this in summer.
Lukashenko: "They once again created a fake. Here's Ukraine. If you could export grain, there would be no famine in Europe or Africa. Even in the best times, Ukraine provided only 1.5% of the grain exports. It's nothing, an arithmetic error. And they began to accuse both us and Russia that we are aggressors, we do not allow to export a huge amount of Ukrainian grain, which is the reason for hunger.
Putin and I immediately understood the situation. You've seen our reaction: "Please take it out." They started to take it out.
They need to get out of this situation, which they themselves got into in order to accuse us. Well, they met in Istanbul and already agreed, the grain was taken. Now "the hungry Africa will be fed." Listen, the 20 ships they're carrying, that's not even enough for Turkey. Iran is already negotiating with Russia to supply grain from the new harvest. So it's just games. The media started yelling: "Hunger! The cause of the famine is here. When we told them: "Come on," they had to give it. You will soon see that this topic will go away, it is already gone. And you'll see what it's worth. It's chatter, nothing more."
Well, they were not going to feed the children of Africa. But now a solution has been found for the current heating season. Yet, Western politicians warm up not so much the batteries in their homes as popular anger. Well, it's impossible to believe that people in their right minds are capable of proposing such solutions.
Mikhail Markelov, journalist, political scientist (Russia):
Europe is going to face serious and political upheavals, and people will take to the streets, people will demand a change of political regimes. This could have serious consequences for the European Union, including disintegration and collapse.
But even in such a situation, European politicians declare that they will continue to sponsor Ukraine with weapons and, as Baerbock said, do not give a damn about the opinion of German voters. They can't meet the demands of their electorate for warmth and a life without starvation. They can't - and they don't want to.
