MOSCOW, September 11. /TASS/. Rising electricity prices in Europe have already sparked protests, and the situation is rapidly deteriorating, Austria's former Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl said in an interview with TASS.

"Protests are partially already there," she remarked, referring to the potential impact of the oil crisis on Europe's political situation.

"I often say - there's a big difference between when people are angry and when they're desperate. When they are angry, they are ready to change something. They will, for example, vote for a new party in the next elections. But if they are desperate, and this is clearly apparent, the situation is dire," the former minister said.