Europe looks increasingly complacent about the winter ahead
The continent has navigated the first cold spell. There are more to come
![A person walks in the snow in Lyon, southeastern France, on December 13, 2022. (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD / AFP) (Photo by JEFF PACHOUD/AFP via Getty Images)](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/content-assets/images/20221217_FNP503.jpg)
“We are safe for this winter. Russia’s blackmail has failed.” Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, was in a confident mood on December 12th, speaking during the first cold spell of the season. It was a confidence born of a sure-footed start to winter. It may also turn out to have been premature.
This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “No time to chill”
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