Let’s not fool ourselves: over the next few months, the EU and the rest of the world are not going to avoid any of the consequences of this war. Even if we were holed away in some mountain hut far from the rest of civilisation, we would still need electricity, gas, petrol along with everyday shopping, such as food and groceries. But in the end, it’s the war that’s going to determine how available these goods are and how much they are going to cost. As I am writing this, the news has just broken that Gazprom has turned off the gas tap to Poland, in response to our refusal to cave in to Russian demands to pay for this resource in roubles. Living in a block that is gas heated, I was left feeling rather nervous. Thankfully, winter is now well and truly over and the next one is several months away, so maybe our government will be able to come up with something other than yet another cardboard shield with holes. I’d be very surprised but also eternally grateful if its