Mr. Rainer Dolger, President of the Federation of German Employers’ Associations, and Mr. Grog Knell, President of the Austrian Federation of Industry, have warned against an immediate ban on the import of natural gas from Russia.
The heads of the German and Austrian federations also warned of price hikes, a slowdown in manufacturing activity, and a halt in the production of some sectors, as a result of the halt in the import of Russian natural gas.
They unanimously agreed that any ban on the import of Russian gas would only weaken the German and Austrian economies, adding that the gas ban would affect employment levels, and even the level of money flows “we use to meet our international obligations.”
Dolger and Knell said that if Germany and Austria are to remain strong partners in the international community, “we need a strong economy and
stable labor markets.”
The heads of the two unions added, “The political leadership of Russia should feel the consequences of this war on the economic and financial sectors as well. This price (of war) for
the Russian economy must be and will be very high…” stressing that it must be ensured that any new sanctions on Russia will harm it more. Which hurt the economy
of Germany and Austria.
It is noteworthy that the European Union has now agreed to ban the import of coal from Russia and a partial ban on the import of Russian oil, but it has not decided to ban the import of gas.
