PhD defence Tomasz Jerzyniak

Keywords: Clean energy transition, Geopolitics of energy, Energy security, Natural gas

"Energy Power Europe? The EU’s Positioning in the Double Geopoliticisation of the Energy Transition"

As the world races towards cleaner energy, geopolitics is not fading — it is multiplying. This PhD examines how the European Union is positioning itself to secure power, resilience, and influence in an energy order increasingly shaped by rivalry between China, the United States, and a growing number of emerging economies. It focuses on the double geopoliticisation of the energy transition: old conflicts over fossil fuels now overlap with new struggles created by the shift to clean energy. Through in-depth analyses of key issue areas — natural gas, access to critical minerals, international hydrogen markets, and the EU’s international energy partnerships — the dissertation asks whether Europe can do more than react to crises. It shows that the EU is seeking to reduce strategic dependencies while positioning itself as an architect of a new clean energy geopolitical order. Yet it also warns that Europe’s ability to shape this order depends on whether it can turn its economic weight, political unity, and tailored international partnerships into real geopolitical influence.

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