Final Word from Monday, December 30, 2024

Serbian Pres. Aleksandar Vučić told Handelsblatt last week that he dares to make the prediction that within one year an American investor will own the Nord Stream natural-gas pipeline and that Russian gas will again be flowing through it to Europe. Donald Trump's election brings us closer to peace, Vučić said. Czech PM Petr Fiala had what he called an excellent phone conversation with Trump on Nov. 11 and said that he was looking forward to close collaboration. In his Christmas address on Dec. 26, Fiala said that his government has made the "biggest strides in the energy sector in decades." He was no doubt alluding in part to the purchases of Net4Gas and RWE Gas Storage CZ, but questions about these acquisitions will be a yoke around the neck of the coalition parties prior to next year's elections. However, if Nord Stream were to reopen by the elections, gas got cheaper, transit income increased and energy-intensive Czech companies stopped going broke, Fiala could benefit from a Trump boost. [ Czech Republic ball chain ]