Germany's LNG dependency replaces Russian gas as new fossil trap

Germany's shift from Russian pipeline gas to liquefied natural gas (LNG) has created new dependencies on global market prices and international crises, rather than achieving energy sovereignty. A Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) analysis of fuel price regulations shows that a policy limiting price increases to once daily has primarily boosted supplier margins, not consumer relief. This pattern reflects a broader energy policy where state intervention reorganizes markets and stabilizes supply chains without addressing the power structures that determine prices, risks, and profits.