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The world is on the verge of austerity measures due to the crisis in the Middle East, here are which countries have begun to take action
2026-04-06 19:17:07 / BOTA
Due to the war in Iran, the cost of energy and fuel is rising sharply, and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil passes, threatened by the Islamic Republic due to constant attacks by the United States and Israel, risks leading the entire world into a new period of austerity.
Energy rationing is already a practice in the most fragile economies, while it is taking shape more gradually in Europe. Egypt has decided to reduce public lighting and impose a 9pm closing time for bars and restaurants to reduce energy consumption. Cairo has also imposed a two-month slowdown on some major public projects, with the aim of rationalizing consumption.
Zambia has declared a supply emergency, given that the prices of kerosene, the fuel used to make jet fuel, are expected to rise "by more than 50% this month."
Asia, on the other hand, seems to be in full austerity mode. This is no coincidence, considering that it is the continent most dependent on oil imports from the Persian Gulf. South Korea has restricted the use of cars for public employees, while the Philippines has decided to shorten its work week to four days. The country has declared a “state of national emergency”. In Myanmar , alternative license plates are in force for private individuals.
Starting last Friday, restrictions also came into effect in Bangladesh . The South Asian country began shortening working hours and imposing early closures of shopping malls and shops, while imposing a 30% cut in fuel and electricity costs in government offices. Some staff training courses have also been suspended, while the purchase of new vehicles, ships and aircraft has been banned. The government has also ordered public employees to “reduce electricity use by turning off unnecessary lights and limiting air conditioning.”
Indonesia has also had to find a solution to its ongoing economic and energy difficulties. Public sector employees will work from home on Fridays, a measure that is also strongly recommended for the private sector. Economy Minister Airlangga Hartarto has decreed that private vehicles will be limited to buying no more than 50 liters of fuel per day. Official travel within the country will also be halved, while international travel will be further reduced.
Meanwhile, Malaysia plans to introduce a work-from-home policy for public sector employees starting April 15, while those residing in major administrative centers, including the capital Kuala Lumpur, with a round-trip commute of more than 8 kilometers can work remotely up to three days a week.
The European Union must also prepare for a “long-term” energy crisis, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said in an interview with the Financial Times.
The 27 member states could soon face a much more serious crisis than the most recent one in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, and are therefore assessing “all options” to address it, including fuel rationing and further use of strategic reserves. For now, Jørgensen assured that the EU “is not yet in a security of supply crisis,” but Brussels is developing plans to address the “structural and long-term effects” of the conflict.
The EU is "preparing for the worst-case scenarios," the commissioner said, even if the situation "has not yet reached the point" of needing to ration critical products such as jet fuel or oil.
For this reason, Jørgensen urged the 27 member states to follow the list of recommendations from the IEA – the International Energy Agency – which includes, among other things, “working from home when possible, reducing highway speeds by 10 kilometers per hour” and “increasing the use of car sharing.”
Therefore, the energy crisis has not yet reached its peak, but some countries on the Old Continent have already started to impose restrictions on consumption: Slovenia , for example, has limited daily fuel consumption to 50 liters for private individuals and 200 for businesses.
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