Europe braces for winter

François Valentin and Jorge González-Gallarza | 9th December 2021 | Uncategorised
karsten-wurth-karsten-wuerth-wIYDNL0M_p4-unsplash

The EU’s ongoing energy crisis reveals how little its green transition has progressed

But for a handful of hardcore survivalists, an announcement caught most the EU’s onlookers off-guard. Earlier this month the (now former) defence minister Klaudia Tanner alerted her Austrian compatriots to the potential need to stockpile food if blackouts arise. Others have been hedging their bets for a while, too. In May Spanish minister Teresa Ribera penned a letter to Frans Timmermans (European Commissioner and VP for the Green Deal) pleading for bloc-wide legislation to prevent power outages from disproportionately hitting the least well off. These were merely the opening salvos in what has since shaped up to be a full-fledged energy crisis in Europe, with a skyrocketing surge in electricity prices across the continent that's hampering the prospects of a rapid post-Covid economic recovery. Bit of a mess Aitor Hernández-Morales (of Politico Europe) and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (of the Jacques Delors Institute) chalk up this price surge to three distinct factors. First, the post-Covid ...

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Trade body describes the Government’s new electric HGV plan as a ‘monumental challenge’

Oliver Dean | February 17, 2026

With only 1 in 70 new HGV's being electric, the government must assist with infrastructure investment says industry leader

Blakeney bolsters its team with new additions

Madeline Dabbah | February 13, 2026

Blakeney has welcomed former drinks company Oatly managing director Tim Knight and pro-Brexit MEP Lucy Harris, in an effort to strengthen their position, the public affairs and strategic

Hanbury goes global

Oliver Dean | February 13, 2026

Hanbury's decision to erect offices in Washington and Sydney showcases the firms' strong public image.

Mandelson’s lobbying firm in disarray as CEO departs

Oliver Dean | February 6, 2026

Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, who co-founded the lobbying firm Global Counsel alongside Peter Mandelson has today resigned following significant backlash regarding the firm’s link to Jeffrey Epstein.

Russell Group turns to public policy veteran for next phase of university lobbying

Thomas Edwards | January 21, 2026

The Russell Group has picked Professor Libby Hackett, an Australia based public policy specialist, as its next chief executive, handing the UK’s most influential research university lobby to

Brussels Opens EU Arctic Policy Review With Public Consultation

Mace | December 29, 2025

The European Commission launches a public consultation to update EU Arctic policy amid climate pressures and rising geopolitical stakes.

China slaps dairy levies of up to 42.7 percent on EU exports

Mace | December 23, 2025

Beijing imposes provisional anti subsidy duties on EU dairy products, deepening trade tensions and hitting exporters across the bloc

Germany calls for overhaul of EU foreign subsidy rules

Mace | December 23, 2025

Berlin urges a full rethink of EU foreign subsidy controls, warning current rules impose heavy burdens and risk harming investment.

EU Council signs off delay and simplification of deforestation law

Mace | December 23, 2025

EU governments approve targeted revisions delaying the deforestation regulation, easing compliance demands while keeping core environmental safeguards in place

EU moves to expand carbon border levy to shut loopholes in polluting imports

Mace | December 19, 2025

Brussels plans to widen its carbon border levy, targeting downstream goods and loopholes to prevent carbon leakage and protect EU industry