How the Iran war has plunged Europe into yet another energy crisis. Two hours ago. Katya Adler, Europe Editor at BBC. The ripple effects of the conflict currently sweeping through the Middle East are reviving memories of past crises that rattled the European Union. Seven months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the European Commission President took to the podium in the European Parliament, accusing Russia of tampering with the EU’s energy market. “They prefer to flare the gas than to deliver it,” declared Ursula von der Leyen, as soaring energy prices battered consumers across the continent. This market is no longer operational. “It’s a war on our energy, our economy, our values, and our future,” she stated, emphasizing that Europe was already shifting from Russian gas to more reliable suppliers like the US and Norway. Yet four years later, profound energy-related discontent has resurfaced at Europe’s core. “We vowed we would learn.” “A European diplomat, deeply frustrated, told me: ‘We promised change, but here we are.'” He requested anonymity to speak freely. His main frustration centered on Europe’s intensifying energy crisis, sparked by the raging Middle East conflict and poised to overshadow a Brussels summit of European leaders on Thursday. “Instead of focusing on essential long-term strategies—for making Europe more competitive in this increasingly unstable world—[European] prime ministers and presidents are now panicking over [energy] prices, fretting about furious voters, and grasping for quick fixes. EPA/Shutterstock.
