The EU flag. Archival photoMOSCOW, 26 Jul. Against the backdrop of a deepening energy crisis, the EU may face a serious split within the bloc, with «the first cracks» already beginning to appear, writes the Spanish edition of El País. «The European Union is shuddering,» the article says. For example, Brussels fears that the bloc's «exceptional» measures, such as rationing and reducing gas consumption, will lead to its split. At the same time, «the first cracks» have already begun to appear in the face of a possible energy and economic crisis «with unpredictable consequences,» the publication warns.Poland refused to share gas with other EU countriesThe proposal to reduce gas consumption in the EU by 15% has already revealed deep divisions among 27 member states, writes El País. However, the contradictions in recent weeks go beyond the energy field: the differences between the «north» and «south» are also evident in matters of fiscal and monetary policy. «For the third time in just over a decade, the EU is facing an existential crisis that will test the cohesion of partners in bloc and their ability to maintain a single social, economic and monetary space, which has been painstakingly created over the years,» the publication concludes. On July 20, the European Commission proposed a new regulation on coordinated measures to reduce gas demand. It involves the introduction of initially voluntary targets for all EU member states to reduce gas demand by 15 percent from August 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. This corresponds to 45 billion cubic meters of gas. The proposals of the European Commission must be approved by a qualified majority of the EU countries in the Council of the EU before they come into force. On Wednesday, the energy ministers will discuss the proposal in Brussels.
