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) 1st ed. 2020 edition 

by Joshua Posaner (Author) 

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.