Germany and Europe are ready to endure the consequences if Russia decides to completely cut off gas supplies, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Saturday.

Germany has prepared for "

" We re-use the production capacity of coal-fired power plants. At the beginning of next year, we will have the opportunity to use the remaining South German nuclear power plants, if necessary, ”said the chancellor..

The Association of Cities and Municipalities in Germany, which represents about 14,000 municipalities and towns across the country, does not share Scholz's optimism.. Association president Gerd Landsberg told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper that the country is facing an energy crisis.

“Hacking and/or overloading the power grid” could lead to a major power outage,” he warned..

According to him, such an overload could occur if too many households turn on electric heaters instead of gas ones..

Marcel Fratscher, President of the German think tank DIW, predicts several years of stagflation in Germany.

Fratzscher predicted that " He suggested that the government limit energy costs and offer assistance in transforming.

Earlier, German Economy Minister Robert Gabeck said that his country has a good chance of surviving the coming winter without taking drastic measures.. The European Union is trying to set a ceiling on prices for energy resources imported from Russia. However, in Germany, the countries' efforts are met with skepticism.. Also, due to the position of Hungary, which is "