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.

Publication in the field of political sciences

Autorentext

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.

Inhalt
Energy Security.- Research Design and Case Selection.- Case Studies: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary.- Relationship between Price and Dependence.- Re-Appraising the 'Energy Weapon'.