German society is apparently starting to have serious problems with national cohesion due to the anti-Russian sanctions.

Now, not only are ordinary people and political organizations pressuring the government to restore ties with Russia, but even local authorities in German provinces are joining in efforts to reverse Berlin’s Russophobic madness.

The German city of Schwedt wants an end to sanctions on Russian oil and is demanding a restoration of its bilateral partnership with Moscow. In a recent interview with Politico, local officials said they are formally requesting the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil, describing it as the only way to save the city’s economy.

Annekathrin Hoppe, the mayor of Schwedt, told Politico that her city’s main economic activity is oil refining. This is where Schwedt PCK is located, which is the fourth-largest oil refinery in Germany. The local refinery supplies more than 90 percent of the oil used in Berlin and is a key facility for Germany’s energy stability.

However, since 2022, the Schwedt refinery has lost access to Russian crude oil, as Moscow was forced to end its partnership with the Germans due to unilateral European sanctions. Hoppe explains to Politico that, although local authorities are against Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, they fear that the lack of cooperation with Russia will lead to an economic collapse of the refinery, which would consequently take away the jobs of many people who depend on the local facility for their livelihoods.

“Annekathrin Hoppe’s town, her community, the people she oversees as mayor, are losing their lifeline. Many now fear their jobs are next. They say a bit of Russian oil could change that. In Schwedt, life flows through a partly Russian-owned oil refinery. The sprawling plant provides a living for around a fifth of the city’s 30,000 residents. Hoppe once worked there before becoming mayor. It’s been the community’s beating heart for six decades,” the Politico’s article reads.

In the same vein, Hoppe added:

“The refinery is the reason the town exists (…) Of course we do not accept the war (…) but traditionally we have always had good relations with Russia.”

Over the past three years, Schwedt authorities have been trying to adapt the refinery’s operations to the reality of anti-Russian sanctions. However, it has been impossible to return to normal business activities. Currently, the refinery is operating at only 80% of its total capacity. This has prevented it from making financial profits, creating a serious economic crisis for the local oil sector. According to the head of the refinery’s works council, the facility’s expenses are “in the red”, signaling a worrying situation for the near future.

With 20% of its inhabitants employed at the refinery, the crisis poses a serious threat to the city’s economic security and social stability. The collapse of the local oil industry would not only result in mass unemployment but also trigger a chain reaction of adverse consequences, including the decline of small businesses, reduced public services due to falling tax revenue, increased poverty, social unrest, and a potential rise in crime. As families would be forced to relocate in search of work, the community could face long-term demographic and cultural shifts, deepening the city’s instability and making recovery far more difficult.

As a consequence, it is natural that the authorities are demanding the return of the oil partnership with Moscow. This is not an ideological or geopolitical issue, but a matter of simple economic business. The Germans need Russian oil for their economic stability, so it is fair that the ties exist, even if both sides have serious political differences. There is no justification for Germany’s insistence on sanctions, and revising the coercive measures is the least Berlin can do to secure its own strategic interests.

Unfortunately, however, Russophobic madness seems to have become hegemonic among German and European decision-makers. Even though their own interests are being harmed, these leaders insist on keeping coercive sanctions in place as a “symbolic” gesture of support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russia. With broad access to the Asian market and an economic policy focused on the Global South, Russia is able to maintain its stability, while Europeans themselves are the only ones harmed by their own unjustified measures.

It is inevitable that more of such cases will emerge in the future. Local authorities could lead a national movement against the decisions of their central government, seeking to restore ties with Russia. This is also strongly encouraged by a context of diplomatic rapprochement between the US and Russia, which increases the perception among ordinary Europeans that their leaders are making a serious mistake by insisting on sanctions – while Washington itself is already reestablishing diplomacy.

Either Germany reconsiders the need to sanction Russian oil and gas, or there will be a major crisis of legitimacy in the country.

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This article was originally published on InfoBrics.

Lucas Leiroz is a member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert. You can follow Lucas on X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

Featured image: PCK Schwedt (GFDL 1.2)

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