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September 2026: The world today, as seen by one Polish guy

522 points · 391 comments · marjancek

  1. Tade0 · · focus · HN ↗
    I feel like this is overdramatized a bit.

    For instance: it's mentioned that EU gas storage is at 67% and Germany's at 56%.

    What is not mentioned though is that Poland's storage is at 97% because the previous administration, for better or worse, was paranoid enough to invest in a sizeable marine gas terminal and the current one stocked up early.

    Regarding real estate: adjusted for inflation prices peaked 2.5 years ago, interest rates are also much lower than back then. Nobody is buying because all the Ukrainian refugees who were moving to Poland are here already and that's the last bump in population this country will see for the foreseeable future.

    Also there's the threat of war on Polish soil, which affects investor sentiment.

    1. nazgob · · focus · HN ↗
      It's 97% but total gas storage capacity it quite low so it's easier to fill.
      1. Tade0 · · focus · HN ↗
        True, but other large EU members also did a better job replenishing their stores:

        <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;energiedashboard.admin.ch&#x2F;gas&#x2F;eu-gasspeicher" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;energiedashboard.admin.ch&#x2F;gas&#x2F;eu-gasspeicher

        For instance, Italy has more storage capacity per capita despite very similar consumption (~10TWh&#x2F;1mln population) and they&#x27;re already at 86%+.

        Meanwhile indeed Poland has much less storage (about a third of Germany per capita), but it also uses it less (half the consumption of Germany per capita).

        I must ask: what the hell are the Germans waiting for?

        1. rostigerpudel · · focus · HN ↗
          Our minister responsible for energy is Katherina Reiche, a lobbyist for fossil companies. She has been suspected to dawdle on refilling gas storage to make it easier for her former employers to make a quick buck when gas becomes scarce in winter. She&#x27;s also botched the transition to renewable energies by removing the incentives for state and industry to build out electric infrastructure, so it would not be out of character.

          Plus, our chancellor has zero experience in governing anything (he&#x27;s not even been mayor before) and is firmly stuck in thinking like a Blackrock executive.

          So, to answer your question: We are waiting for a government that is not entirely in the pocket of those that want to stick to the status quo and profit from crises as long as possible.

          1. Tade0 · · focus · HN ↗
            So another Gerhard Schröder?

            I still remember some of the lyrics to Der Steuersong.

            1. rostigerpudel · · focus · HN ↗
              I never liked Schröder very much. I somewhat respected him for working his way up to the top coming from a very poor family. But Schröder was not a lobbyist before he became chancellor and his actions during his reign do not strike me as guided by taking care of his cronies.
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