It was a hostage situation. "You want to quit our gas? See how you're going to fare when winter comes and you can't fill your storage in time."
In September it was already clear that a weak polar vortex would make for a frosty winter in the northern hemisphere. It was just luck (for Europe) that it hit North America and not Europe. During summer in Germany every week more people were drumming up (literally) demands to open Nord Stream 2.
There was no way of being sure a German government wouldn't flip under pressure once people were freezing and showing up with torches at the Reichstag.
But one September night someone went in and shot the hostages...
While this winter is milder than usual, Europe does typically have a hotter climate than could be expected, thanks to the Gulf Stream. (For instance
the North Mediterranean is on the same longitude as New York !)
In September it was already clear that a weak polar vortex would make for a frosty winter in the northern hemisphere. It was just luck (for Europe) that it hit North America and not Europe. During summer in Germany every week more people were drumming up (literally) demands to open Nord Stream 2.
There was no way of being sure a German government wouldn't flip under pressure once people were freezing and showing up with torches at the Reichstag.
But one September night someone went in and shot the hostages...