Abstract
In recent years, populist political forces in power and opposition have engaged with energy politics in various ways. In the context of the EU's ambitious European Green Deal, voices of concern noted that populists, especially on the right, may be slowing down or, at worst, derailing the energy transition completely.
In this talk, I will discuss how populists influence the international politics of energy. The departure point is a reflection on the specific relationship between populist ideology and international energy politics, and especially how the key dichotomies of populism play out in this political domain. I will first define populism and its core features, then present energy politics as an unusual and unique area of public policy, highlighting both its domestic and international dimensions. I will further emphasise the problem of energy transitions as examples of rapid social change and their role as a fuel for populist contestation.
I will then zoom in on the energy policies of some populist political forces in power in Europe, illustrating the ways populist politics interacts with energy governance and showing what the implications of this may be for the future of the EGD.
Download paper (restricted access).
Please note that this paper is work in progress and thus has limited distribution, please contact us if you would like access. Do not cite without permission from the author.