Algeria is the "lung" of the new Europe.. How did the war in the Middle East redraw the map of global gas?

 At a time when the Middle East is boiling on a hot plate from the ongoing war, the  European continent has found itself facing a new energy nightmare that threatens its national security. With the arteries coming from the Gulf disrupting, Algeria has emerged as a strategic "lifeline", turning its geographical location and production capabilities into a trump card in the global energy balance.

 Ras Laffan earthquake and the collapse of markets

The sharp spikes in energy prices this month were not just a passing fluctuation; they were a direct result of the targeting of the Ras Laffan facility in Qatar, the beating heart of the world's liquefied natural gas. This disruption, coupled with the decline in tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, has pushed gas prices in Europe to jump by 35%, sparking an economic panic that French President Emmanuel Macron has described as a "reckless escalation" that threatens global stability.

 Algeria. Safe haven in the midst of the storm

In the face of this crisis, European capitals have rushed to reduce their reliance on sources of concern, finding Algeria the most reliable partner. Thanks to its sub-Mediterranean pipeline network, Algeria has been able to urgently ramp up its exports, taking advantage of its infrastructure that connects it directly to the heart of the old continent.

Recent data indicate a dramatic shift in the numbers:

22% increase: Algerian gas supplies through pipelines to the EU during January alone.

Spain is at the forefront, with Algerian gas accounting for more than 29% of Madrid's total imports during the first two months of this year.

 Is the "Algerian Desert" enough to warm Europe?

Despite this strong rise in Algerian stature, which has been strengthened since the Russia-Ukraine crisis in 2022, observers believe that these increases may ease the pressure in the short term, but they do not seem to be quite enough to compensate for the "partial" interruption of the Gulf's huge supplies.

Algeria today is not just a supplier of fuel, but has become a pillar in the equation of European "energy security", in a scene that proves that geopolitics is now written by gas drops and supply pipelines.