Warm clothes. Photo credit: Dan Gold
Turning up the heat in Europe could soon land you in prison
It's time to dress warmly. The Italian government, for example, is planning to cut the heating season in the country in order to guarantee the power supply to industries. This also includes a maximum permitted temperature of 19 degrees. Anyone who does not comply with the measures could be asked to pay a fine. In Switzerland there is even a risk of imprisonment.
Published: September 8, 2022, 11:03 am
In Italy, the heating period is to be shortened and a certain temperature is to be maintained at all times. Rome has ordered Italians to heat one hour less per day. The date from which the heating can be put into operation will also be pushed back by 15 days. Which means that homes will not be heated until November.
So far, however, it is still unclear who will be carrying out the random checks in apartments: landlords, the police or other state bodies could simply walk into an apartment and check that the correct temperature is maintained.
The exact regulation has not yet been decided. However, it should be available to the EU Commission by October 15. A few points from this have already become known. In all rooms (whether public or private), the radiators should be turned to 19 degrees and not exceeded. Even a limit of 18 degrees is currently under discussion. This is particularly absurd for mountain regions like South Tyrol or Trentino, where it snows as early as October.
Italy hopes that this will save up to six billion cubic meters of gas per year, according to Italian Environment Minister Roberto Cingolani. In order to enforce the requirements, not only random checks are planned, but also meticulous monitoring of the state distribution network.
Penalties of up to €5 000
The penalties for disregarding these rules are also draconian. Although the catalog of penalties is not yet official, a legal text from 2001 prescribes the economical and appropriate use of energy. According to this law, the Italian government could demand a fine of between 516 and 2 582 euros for breaking the rules. Should the government also issue a decree that picks up on an EU standard on energy efficiency in the construction sector, the penalties could be up to 3 000 euros . A fine of up to 5 000 euros would even be possible for improper maintenance of a heating system.
Prison sentences in Switzerland
But it’s not just Italy that’s going overboard on this issue. Switzerland has also announced that it will be issuing fines for wasting energy. That includes imprisonment. Specifically, anyone who intentionally violates the Federal Law on National Economic Supply, faces a prison sentence of up to three years.
Even in the case of negligent violations of the measures, a fine of up to 180 times the daily rate is conceivable. This means that if gas or energy in general becomes scarce in winter, the measures will be tightened further. According to a Swiss newspaper, hot water can then only be heated to 60 degrees. Radiant heaters would be banned in general, while saunas and swimming pools would have to stay cold.
These requirements and accompanying fines have ignited heated debates in Switzerland: the mere question of whether measurements are being taken in the right place – it is cooler on an outer wall than on an inner wall – could keep the federal courts on their toes next winter.
The denouncer mentality, already known from the Corona “pandemic”, is likely to flourish because without the interest of particularly eager and nosy fellow citizens, the authorities will hardly know who to pursue. Even if Economics Minister Guy Parmelin said he did not want to start a “broad-based hunt for heating sinners”, there should be “selective checks” to see whether the bath water is too warm.
European model?
The alarming thing is that these penalties could not only apply in Italy or Switzerland, but could serve as a model for all of Europe. If, for example, the regulation prevails in Italy, this would be a pointer for the other EU states that could pass similar regulations. Switzerland’s advance would also be a further indication that Austria and others will soon follow the example. In doing so, Europe will say goodbye to a market economy (two of the EU accession criteria, also known as the Copenhagen criteria) and finally enter a war economy.
Russian influencer calls for wasting energy
Austrian media reported that a Russian influencer has called for wasting energy to support the Russian army from Europe. The idea behind it is quite simple: This means that the gas reserves are depleted faster, which means that the emergency worsens more quickly, which in turn causes more unrest among the population.
The Telegram channel Germanija ot pervogo lica, which translates as “Germany from the first person perspective”, already has over 90 000 followers and thus a mobilization rate that could actually be significant.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
Europe
NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.
European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.
Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.
Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.
Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.
The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."
Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.
The Ursula von der Leyen Affair
After a criminal complaint in Belgium against the President of the European Commission, the so-called SMS-case, now takes a new turn. The judge responsible for the investigation will likely gain access to the secret messages exchanged between Ursula von der Leyen and Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, at least if they haven't been deleted.
Publisher of Unique Literature Worldwide Blocked by International Distributor
Arktos has distinguished itself by publishing groundbreaking philosophers and social critics. Now, the publisher's international distributor has abruptly terminated the cooperation, and more than 400 already printed titles cannot reach their audience. There is strong evidence that the distributor has been under pressure, something that has also happened in Sweden. We have spoken with Arktos founder Daniel Friberg about the ongoing struggle for freedom of speech in a shrinking cultural corridor.
Care prompts bishops to criticize transgender ideology
The Catholic bishops of the Scandinavian countries presented an open five-page letter criticizing transgender ideology on March 21, just before Easter. The document primarily expresses care and advice and was read aloud in Catholic churches in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, is one of the signatories of the document.
