Switzerland warns of unrest over power outages in winter as Russia cuts off gas supplies
As Russia cuts energy supplies to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, the Swiss government and cantons warned on Saturday that citizens must prepare for “extreme scenarios” like the unrest as the EU member state braces for possible energy shortages in Switzerland prepared hard winter. A senior cantonal security official told local press reporters that the power outage triggered by the looming energy crisis due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war will have serious and devastating consequences.
According to Swiss police chief Fredy Fassler, there could be nationwide unrest in Switzerland if there are energy shortages next winter. “Power failure … will have serious consequences. Imagine the situation when we can no longer withdraw money from ATMs, pay by card in a shop or fill up at a gas station. The heaters no longer work. The streets are all dark. Then it would be conceivable that the population would rebel,” said Fässler when asked by the Blick newspaper. He warned that the Swiss authorities had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
“Switzerland is actively preparing for an impending power shortage in winter. The focus is on the energy supply,” said the Swiss police chief, Fredy Fassler.
Swiss authorities are urging the public to stock up “candles and firewood”.
The Swiss Federal Council is calling on power plant operators to negotiate contracts for the use of emergency power plants in the event of a power shortage in order to avoid extreme measures and the public’s fears. The head of the Federal Electricity Commission Elcom, Werner Luginbuhl, called on citizens to stock up on candles and firewood and to be prepared for the failures. Such warnings come as elsewhere in Germany, millions of low-income households appear to have difficulty paying their energy bills as bills are significantly overstated amid the energy crisis.
Russia’s state-owned energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) announced it is cutting gas supplies via the major pipeline to Europe to 20% of capacity due to repairs to equipment, sparking fresh energy crisis fears in heavily dependent EU member states Moscow for its energy needs.
The move has been denounced as “political leverage” as Russian troops continue to launch an offensive in Ukraine as Europe braces for harsh winters. The Russian state-owned company tweeted that it is cutting the gas supply throughput of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea to Germany, to 33 million cubic meters for at least three days – from August 31 to September 2. Gazprom cited maintenance work on Europe’s largest gas pipeline, such as turbine repairs, as the cause of the sudden drop.