Europe’s Folly Leaves It Facing a Destabilizing Energy Crisis

Energy crisis and a ‘heat or eat’ winter may trigger the worst political instability since World War II but the causes are largely self-inflicted

The Industrial Park of Hoechst in Frankfurt, Germany, on June 23, 2022. Germany is activating an emergency plan for natural gas supplies to ward off a crisis this coming winter. Michael Probst/AP Photo

Commentary

Russian expansionism is a reality, and the dimensions of Europe’s looming energy crisis are broader and deeper than European Union leaders anticipated when the Ukrainian invasion began in February.