Good morning,
Conspiracy theories abound after a massive power outage left most of Spain and Portugal without electricity for up to ten hours, jolting millions out of their post-Easter holiday lull.
Portugal has pinned the blame on Spain’s electricity network. According to the Portuguese energy company REN (Rede Eletrica Nacional), "extreme temperature variations" caused "a phenomenon known as 'induced atmospheric vibration'." Spanish authorities were yet to respond as EUobserver went to press.
As theories go, blaming the weather seems a little far-fetched.
But is it any more outlandish than the idea that a malign interest, i.e. Russia or China, was responsible for putting the lights out across much of southern Europe?
Fears of the sinister were not helped by Ukraine's energy minister German Galuschenko posting on X that Kyiv was "ready to assist in restoring the stable operation of the energy networks of our partners and allies in Europe."
"We are ready to share the knowledge and experience, including those gained during the systematic Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure," he added. In the school of dropping hints – not to mention propaganda – this was hardly subtle.
A generation ago, before the Internet and when mobile phones were a rarity (let alone smartphones), power cuts weren't so dramatic. People just waited until the lights came back on.
EU leaders insist that there are no indications that today's power outage has been caused by a cyberattack, with European Council president António Costa stating that "for the time being, we need to wait".
But in today's climate, that's easier said than done.
- Benjamin Fox, Africa editor
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