Energy, Crisis, Future
Photo by Karsten Würth on Unsplash
It would sound trite to say that we are at a critical point in European history. Alas, at the same time it very much feels like it. In the 50s, the EU originated as the European Coal and Steel Community, followed by the European economic community and the European Atomic Energy Community. Many decades and treaties later, Europe is once again at a momentous time for its energy and economic future.
At record high levels of inflation and with a persistent cost of living crisis, European leaders are making decisions that will shape the future of the union while also — perhaps unknowingly — setting the tone of how negotiations and life is conducted in the continent. Is it going to be a Europe of cooperation or of competition? Is it going to be an inclusive or exclusionary union? Is it going to be a Europe responding reactively to a security, economic, and social crisis, or one that is proactively shaping a climate-conscious future?
The current landscape sometimes feels out of an international relations realist textbook. Within the EU, there are renewed talks about solidarity. After unprecedented levels of cooperation to provide vaccines, it remains to be seen if that moment of joint action will be replicated. Spain and Germany are trying to promote a pipeline (Midcat) that would connect the Iberian Peninsula to other European countries through France to transport gas. France, a proponent of nuclear energy, has been blocking this option. Faced with French opposition, Spain is suggesting replacing France with Italy via an undersea gas pipeline and accusing France of lack of solidarity and hypocrisy in its European discourse. Meanwhile, as Spain - Algeria relations soured (Algeria exports natural gas), France and Italy are growing closer to the North African country.
But from a climate perspective, if we leave power politics behind, when it comes to solutions such as the proposed pipeline, our biggest questions should be technical. Entrenching natural gas perpetuates dependence on fossil fuel. When confronted with this reality, proponents of the pipeline argue that in the future, the Midcat would be used to export green hydrogen. Is that really the case? Is it technically possible?
Despite green claims by European powers, we are seeing how several member states are extending or relaunching coal plants. In parallel, Russia’s Gazprom is temporarily shutting down – supposedly because of maintenance needs – the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline to Germany and it has said that it will halt supplies to France due to contractual disagreements. This presents another challenge for a French president that recently declared the end of the age of abundance. Overconsumption has damaged our earth, but confronted with Macron’s declaration, the inevitable question is: abundance, for whom?
More than 70 years ago, Robert Schuman, one of the founders of the union, said that “"Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de-facto solidarity”.
These are testing times, and while European leaders scramble to prevent citizens experiencing a difficult winter, their decisions are shaping the path that the union will take.
A future of unity and solidarity is not foretold. Upcoming elections in the continent are going to be fundamental: Italy’s general elections in September could see the rise of the extreme far-right Fratelli d’Italia, and in Sweden, for the first time, the Conservative, Liberal and Christian Democrat parties say they are ready to govern with the support of the far right, after the legislative elections of September 11 (while promising to revive the nuclear sector in the country).
But lest we forget, European futures are not only shaped by political elites. Other Europeans are redefining identities in their own terms.
For example, a burgeoning movement of Afro-Italian influencers and creatives are helping to spur a rethink of Italian identity. According to sociologist Mauro Valeri, after 1930s Fascism notable Black Italians were erased from history and Italian identity was conceptualized as one tied to whiteness and Catholicism. These young Italians are challenging this static notion.
In other news:
“Eight European Union countries bordering the Baltic Sea agreed on Tuesday (30 August) to increase offshore wind power generation capacity sevenfold – to 20 gigawatts by 2030 – in order to decrease dependency on Russian energy.”
“US to see renewable energy boom in wake of historic climate bill”
Floods are devastating Pakistan and strong rain has left a tremendous toll in Niger.
I’ve recommended Who owns the wind? to anyone who will listen to me. The energy transition needs to be sustained on public support. This book helped me empathize and understand those who oppose renewables and on what grounds.
Connecting the Dots: Musings on Bridging and Belonging is a bi-monthly column by Míriam Juan-Torres. In it, Míriam reflects on current events, connecting the trends and considering the specificities across countries, applying a bridging and belonging lens and translating concepts from academia for a wider audience. In Connecting the Dots, Míriam carefully curates readings and resources to further expand our understanding and shed light on the complexities of our time. Join our mailing list to stay up to date on the latest of the Democracy & Belonging Forum's curated analysis from Miriam and more.
Editor's note: The ideas expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of the Othering & Belonging Institute or UC Berkeley, but belong to the authors.