The coalition government has taken some important steps to address the current crisis, but has so far failed to set a new, more sustainable course.
Yet, in these changes, Berlin has so far failed to set a new, more sustainable course —for both its own and for Europe’s future.
The error started 50 years ago, when the then-Bonn government entered negotiations with Moscow to build a gas pipeline from Siberia.
The government has promised to help consumers and industry bear this burden by allocating up to €200 billion in subsidies, but such largesse has now undermined the Europe-wide effort to address the energy crisis — which Germany’s overreliance on Russian fuel partly caused.
Germany is currently standing at a crossroads.
Its past mistakes and future potential demand nothing less.