Held Captive by Gas: The Price of Politics in Gazprom's Long-Term Contracts with Central European Buyers (2009 to 2014) (Energiepolitik und Klimaschutz. Energy Policy and Climate Protection)

Gas makes or breaks economies, as shown by the effects of the 2009 Ukraine/Russia gas supply crisis. Joshua Posaner looks at four case study countries in Central and Eastern Europe. He examines the interdependence between the domestic political structure of a gas import-dependent country and the price it paid for imports up to 2014, using the level of reliance on the dominant supplier as an indicator. The more dependent a country is on a single supplier, the more it pays for its supplies. The author aims to explain why capitals prioritize energy security and balance their import portfolios differently, while taking a new angle on the European gas system. He offers a timely investigation into an oft-reported subject, with Russia's perceived "energy weapon" and themes of "energy dependence" weighing heavily on European political discourse. Contents Energy Security Research Design and Case Selection Case Studies: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary Relationship between Price and Dependence Re-Appraising the 'Energy Weapon' Target Groups Academics, researchers, and students in the fields of political sciences, energy policy, international relations, political economy, development studies Journalists, experts, and decision makers in the fields of energy policy, (renewable) energy industry, foreign relations, and development cooperation The Author Joshua Posaner studied at the University of Greenwich, School of Oriental and African Studies, University College London and completed his doctoral thesis at Freie Universität Berlin Gas makes or breaks economies, as shown by the effects of the 2009 Ukraine/Russia gas supply crisis. Joshua Posaner looks at four case study countries in Central and Eastern Europe. He examines the interdependence between the domestic political structure of a gas import-dependent country and the price it paid for imports up to 2014, using the level of reliance on the dominant supplier as an indicator. The more dependent a country is on a single supplier, the more it pays for its supplies. The author aims to explain why capitals prioritize energy security and balance their import portfolios differently, while taking a new angle on the European gas system. He offers a timely investigation into an oft-reported subject, with Russia's perceived "energy weapon" and themes of "energy dependence" weighing heavily on European political discourse. Contents Energy Security Research Design and Case Selection Case Studies: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary Relationship between Price and Dependence Re-Appraising the 'Energy Weapon' Target Groups Academics, researchers, and students in the fields of political sciences, energy policy, international relations, political economy, development studies Journalists, experts, and decision makers in the fields of energy policy, (renewable) energy industry, foreign relations, and development cooperation The Author Joshua Posaner studied at the University of Greenwich, School of Oriental and African Studies, University College London and completed his doctoral thesis at Freie Universität Berlin Front Matter ....Pages I-XVII Introduction (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 1-21 Research design (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 23-54 Energy security (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 55-96 Poland (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 97-136 Czech Republic (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 137-170 Slovakia (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 171-198 Hungary (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 199-232 Evaluation (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 233-248 Conclusion (Joshua Posaner)....Pages 249-258 Back Matter ....Pages 259-269