Ursula von der Leyen's message was loud and clear in her State of the European Union address. To drive home the point, the EU Commission President, sporting the yellow and blue of the Ukrainian flag, had Ukraine's First Lady as her guest of honour. We ask about von der Leyen's message and the cost of a quick segue away from Russian oil and gas.
Meanwhile in Paris, the French prime minister was rolling out the government's plan to get households and small businesses through the winter as bills skyrocket. To avoid blackouts, an extra sweater and quick showers are strongly recommended.
Do EU citizens have the resolve to deal with what is quietly turning into a wartime economy, where strategic imperatives trump profit, creature comforts and individual priorities? Is saving energy compatible with a consumer society that's usually based on more, more and more?
Worries about the end of the month are real, but there is also the end of humanity. A rekindling of wildfires in France's southwestern Bordeaux region is a reminder that the freak weather of the summer of 2022 may in fact be the new normal the world over. How fast can we adapt?
Produced by Charles Wente, Juliette Laurain and Imen Mellaz.
