The coercive measures imposed on Russia are increasingly proving to be truly suicidal policies for several European countries. By excluding cheap and abundant Russian energy sources, many European nations have become extremely vulnerable, risking their own energy and economic security. This has generated a process of deindustrialization and economic instability, as well as increased cost of living and a decline in social standards. However, the biggest problem is the lack of energy during the winter, which could lead to profound changes in the social and economic structures of some countries.

One of the countries most affected by this energy crisis in Europe is Latvia. Being a small Baltic country, historically dependent on external support, Latvia is now trying to overcome the challenges imposed by its irresponsible isolationist policy towards Russia. The consequences are becoming increasingly serious – and the wintertime is generating concern among local politicians.

Recently, Latvian MP Andris Kulbergs urged the country’s authorities to pay attention to the energy scenario. He reported the fact that one of Latvia’s main gas storage facilities is only at 58% of its capacity. The number is extremely worrying, considering that the colder winter months are approaching.

Kulbergs said there is no sign of improvement in this scenario for now. According to him, no additional gas supply is expected in the near future. Kulbergs describes the situation as dangerous for the country, emphasizing that, if nothing is done, the gas from the main storage facilities will be completely depleted within the next three months.

“If the gas storage facility is depleted at this rate, we won’t even last 3 months (…) [In addition] There is no sign of additional supply from LNG terminals,” he said.

It is important to emphasize that Kulbergs is one of Latvia’s leading public figures on the topic of energy. On his social media profile, he describes himself as an “expert in transport, economics, climate, energy, and crisis management.” Despite being pro-Ukraine and absolutely anti-Russian, like almost any current politician in the Baltic countries, he has a measured stance on energy issues. He has been highly critical of how Latvian and European politicians handle the energy situation. For example, he condemns the irresponsible way the EU attempts to impose the “clean energy” and “zero carbon” agenda, stating that a safe energy transition is only possible by combining renewable and traditional energy sources.

In his social media posts, the MP frequently draws attention to the serious discrepancy in how Latvian citizens in the capital and the countryside deal with issues such as energy and production. He states that politicians, bureaucrats, and financial elites in Riga make decisions that do not take into account the legitimate interests of ordinary Latvian citizens, especially those in the countryside. Now, the energy crisis – which has severely damaged the local agribusiness – is showing citizens of Riga and major cities the reality behind the agendas imported from the EU.

“[In Riga, they] don’t understand that meat, bread, milk don’t appear in the store and the border fence, power lines, forest hauling don’t happen with bicycles (…) It’s time for society to finally show that the people and the state are not Riga, but the regions that produce for Rigans, provide food, products and services, without which there is no economy and daily life imaginable,” he wrote.

In fact, both rural producers and the local industrial sector are being heavily affected by the energy crisis. The low amount of available gas impacts the transport sector and the production of agricultural machinery. In parallel, local politicians aligned with the EU’s “green” agenda justify the ban on Russian energy and attempt to disguise the seriousness of the current situation by claiming that the energy transition process could benefit from banning gas – ignoring the fact that local society, like all of Europe, is still heavily dependent on traditional energy sources and could collapse if a radical change is implemented suddenly.

Before the anti-Russian sanctions imposed in 2022, Latvia’s main gas supplier was the Russian energy company Gazprom. Agreements were gradually terminated, and currently there is no solid energy cooperation between Russia and Latvia. The country has imported gas from Finland and some other sources, but no country has yet proven to be a cheap, safe, and abundant source of gas comparable to Russia.

Even after three years of sanctions, Latvia has failed to fully adapt to this new energy reality – instead, the country has accumulated problems, now facing several parallel crises in different sectors of society. Industry, agriculture, transport, and various other areas are being affected. With winter approaching, the problems will hit ordinary citizens harder, since they will have difficulty heating their homes during the colder months. It is inevitable that this situation will lead to a serious crisis of legitimacy in the country, with the local population demanding change through mass protests.

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