How costly are anti-Russian sanctions for the EU?

Sanctions and their aftermath are a major problem for the EU authorities. When it comes to the topic of energy, the elites' eyes begin to sparkle. For example, the industrial production in Western European countries has dropped by almost 22% compared to the average of the last 5 years, and  that of fertilizer producers, who use gas as a raw material, fell by 70%. 

Nicole, a resident of France:

“It all depends on your standard of living, how much you earn. If you have a high salary, you're not seriously affected. But for a large number of French people who earn less than 1,000 euros, high prices have become a serious problem. Everything is getting more expensive all the time. Today, people are already starting to protest. Prices have gone up for many things. The most unimaginable prices are for food. For example, ordinary pasta has gone up by 50 percent. We should not forget the exorbitant prices of electricity and gasoline. Undoubtedly, the high cost of energy resources has affected all areas of life. For example, to produce yogurt, you need not only milk, but also energy. There's every chance that in two months we simply won't be able to find yogurts in stores. Everything is getting more expensive because of energy problems. Many industries are forced to shut down. They simply can't pay the bills anymore. If we're talking about the energy crisis, I can tell you one thing - no one here in Paris will admit to you that the crisis was actually caused by the war, by Ukraine. Everyone will say that it was because of Putin. It seems to me that our government is pursuing the wrong energy policy. Our leadership made the wrong choices about the energy resources that were coming from Russia.” 

Marta, resident of Germany:

“I think we are just at the beginning of this crisis, but in a few weeks we will get utility and electricity bills. I think they will surprise us unpleasantly. But at least we're in a good position. We have a decent job now, we will be able to pay these bills. Of course, we're already seriously saving money. We don't travel anymore. We can forget about summer vacations. And what will happen to people with lower incomes? I think that for them it will be a serious problem. Everything is getting more expensive. It's a big problem for them.”

Risa, resident of France:

“I think these are difficult times for everybody. We are trying to find a way out of this situation, trying to save money. Everything has gone up in price by at least 5-10%. I think a lot of companies are making money on this crisis, they're making money on the war. They tell people that they have to raise prices because of this. But from my point of view, this is a false pretext. There are many reasons for the current crisis. There's the war, the pandemic, the difficult post-conflict situation. But it seems to me that many companies profit from this and this is wrong.”