
© AP/Jean Francois BadiasCoal power plant at Saint Avold to reopen
On Thursday, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne distributed instructions to regional political leaders to
prepare the country for regular electricity outages in coming weeks and months.
This includes contingency planning for a total blackout of the French power grid.The government's circulation of the document is a tacit admission that
the energy "sobriety" campaign called for by President Emmanuel Macron on July 14 has failed, and that large parts of France face significant electricity and heating cut-offs this winter.
High energy prices in Europe are primarily a consequence of NATO's war against Russia in Ukraine.
While EU governments attempt to shift the blame to Putin for Europe's energy shortage this winter, it was their own decision to cease Russian gas and oil imports in the spring, bowing to US and NATO demands.The instructions were distributed while Macron was in the United States on a state visit. Despite complaining about the ruinous impact of the US's nationalist economic policy on French energy prices,
Macron reiterated his government's continued commitment to fight NATO's war in Ukraine against Russia. This includes continuing ongoing sanctions against Russia, even if this means the French population goes cold this winter.
The energy rationing measures circulated in the French government's plan have not been known in France since the aftermath of the Second World War.
Comment: Too little, too late. Time is not on Europe's side.