OREANDA-NEWS The Minister of Economy and Climate Protection, German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said that in the event of a gas shortage, a number of industries would have to stop working.

“If there is not enough gas, then certain industries that need gas will have to be shut down,” he said in an interview with Spiegel.

According to the minister, in this case, all market and economic processes will be interrupted and for a number of industries this will have a catastrophic effect.

“We are not talking about two days or weeks, but a long time. We are talking about people who will then become unemployed, about regions that will lose entire industrial complexes, ”the politician added.

Earlier, Khabek said that he was afraid that Russia could stop gas supplies to Germany after the next inspection of the Nord Stream gas pipeline.

On the eve of the German government raised to the second of three levels of readiness in the emergency plan to ensure energy security.

At the same time, Habek stressed that the security of Germany's supply is currently ensured, but gas is now a scarce commodity.

So far, Germany has declared the first degree of readiness as part of an emergency plan for ensuring energy security. In accordance with it, the Federal Grid Agency had to report every day on the situation with fuel supplies.

The second degree of readiness means that the government has the right to recommend companies to save gas. In this case, the situation is still regulated at the market level, without intervention with price regulation.