Check It Out: What can Canada learn from Europe’s mistakes?
By Joan Janzen
The following quote by an American writer is appropriate for this week’s missive: “Learn all you can from the mistakes of others. You won’t have time to make them all yourself.”
An Austrian podcaster who goes by the name Survival Lilly periodically reports on media information from Europe, specifically Austria and Germany. Her reports caused me to ask: what can Canada learn from Europe’s mistakes? Her podcast reviews European news reports and policy discussions.
Recent headlines in Germany report an automotive giant is pulling the emergency brake on electric cars and making a radical strategic shift. Internal combustion engines are making a comeback in Europe, according to the podcaster. “Nobody wants to purchase electric cars anymore; they love the combustion engines which are more reliable,” Lilly reported. She also observed electric vehicles demand a lot of electricity, thus driving up the cost of that commodity.
She noted it’s been colder than usual this winter in Europe, causing people to preheat their cars using their remote controls. “But in Germany that is no longer possible,” she said. She reported on a Lexus customer who opened his vehicle app and was informed he no longer had access to his car’s remote auxiliary climate control, which had been discontinued.
Toyota and Lexus sold thousands of cars to European customers in 2025. Now they are disabling their remotes to protect vehicle users from fines and to avoid unnecessary environmental pollution.
“There’s no compensation for affected customers,” she added. “Freedom is being taken by the German government.”
However, Germany’s mainstream media has been offering helpful advice to their listeners: because of potential power outages, people are advised to have cash on hand at home. “If you talked about having cash on hand 10 years ago you would have been ridiculed,” she said. “But now you get this advice from the mainstream media.”
The article she was reading explained power or network problems can disrupt card payments, and everyone should have cash available in case card readers in stores suddenly malfunction. They were advised to have enough cash for groceries, gas and emergencies.
Another news release noted asylum seekers in Germany are now getting less money, receiving basic care instead of full social welfare. “Germany can no longer afford the current state of welfare,” she added.
Both Germany and Austria are calling for an end to part-time jobs because part-time jobs generate less income tax. Their government is also calling for reforms to the joint taxation of married couples, which helps couples pay less tax when one parent stays home with the children. Apparently such incentives promote mothers of young children working part-time, therefore reforms are needed.
During the past two decades Germany began phasing out nuclear power plants and coal plants. However, now they’re realizing that wasn’t a good idea. During that period they shut down 15 smaller coal plants and nine working nuclear plants.
They planned to replace nuclear energy and coal energy with renewable sources like solar and wind. However, solar and wind proved to be less reliable. Consequently Germany’s electricity grid is reaching its limits, risking blackouts. Because winter temperatures have been very cold, natural gas storage facilities are emptying and emergency plans are in place.
The podcaster reported the German government once again plans to invest in gas-fired power plants. Since they shut down and partly destroyed the old high-quality nuclear plants, taxpayers will now pay for the building of a new gas-fired power plant.
“I can’t believe how politicians are throwing out our tax dollars,” the European podcaster said. Natural gas is used to make electricity, so both electricity and natural gas have become more expensive. Add to this an increased number of heat pumps being installed, which also increases the demand for electricity.
Meanwhile, in her own country of Austria, some companies have temporarily suspended production due to extreme price fluctuations in electricity. The cost of electricity has more than doubled, and the country is now importing electricity from other countries.
She gave the example of a company which installed 8,000 solar panels and a small hydro power source. Nevertheless, the company, which employs 8,000 people, is directly affected by the skyrocketing price of electricity, resulting in temporary halts in production.
In a news report from France, she read that in some French communities open fireplaces are being restricted. Chimneys are banned in 690 French communities. France forbids the use of fireplaces while the population experiences frigid winters, power outages and natural gas shortages.
Lilly read a recent headline which reported: “Germany sees the highest corporate bankruptcy rate in a decade. Twelve thousand corporate insolvencies were registered in the first six months of 2025.”
The podcaster evaluated the situation in Germany and Austria and concluded: “It’s not because of a lack of resources; it’s because of bad political decisions.”
Does any of this sound familiar? Can our politicians learn from the mistakes of others? I hope so, because they don’t have time to make them all themselves.