'...the German trade association said that before the Ukrainian war, prices had already risen by 5% in Germany "for the entire product line" because of rising energy costs. Moreover, "the second wave of price hikes is coming, definitely by double-digit percentages." Aldi also expects German food prices to rise by 20% to 50% in the next few weeks. According to a survey recently published by the Ifo Institute, almost all German food retail companies plan to increase prices. "Germany's food supply is guaranteed for the foreseeable next year," said the German Agricultural Organization. "But beyond that time frame, it is difficult to make predictions. "'
Source: German food prices will rise sharply, Germans have to face a more impoverished life.
The problem with inflation is that there is no short-term solution to it. You have to have at least a medium-term vision to fight it and it cannot be based only on withdrawing liquidity from the market as the ECB plans to do. Energy policy also plays an important role, and the solution proposed to stop depending on Russian gas is more expensive.
With respect to the ECB, another problem that may be encountered is that of a catch-22 situation. After many years of giving massive amounts of drugs to the junkie, you cannot withdraw all the drugs at once, or the junkie will go cold turkey. Let's see how they do it without a major crisis.
This whole situation materialized because Russia decided to invade a peaceful neighbor, that is the fact which is never going to change. Putin decided that after 2 years of a worldwide pandemic crisis, the world should be plunged into another crisis with the first major war in Europe in decades. Not only did he cut Russia off, with an economy that heavily relies on exporting resources and commodities, he crippled one of the other biggest wheat & grain exporters of the world, so Russia will be contributing the many more people starving in the world. Europe may have a contraction, but due to relatively high living standards already, it is going to pale in comparison and the richest countries will suffer the least unfortunately.