CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2011
| Author | Odonoghue, Cillian John |
|---|---|
| Title | Dealing with Russian Gas: Energy Management Dependecy Strategies in the Czech Republic and Hungary from Transition to Present |
| Summary | This thesis seeks to explain how two Central European states have dealt with their energy dependency on Russia in the Post Cold war period. Despite inheriting similar path dependencies, Czech Republic and Hungary have followed distinctly dissimilar paths in dealing with their main supplier Russia. This paper identifies two basic hypotheses to be the most likely cause of variation: (a) differing perceptions of Russia and (b) ideological orientation (left-right divide). Utilizing the neoclassical realist theory of international relations, this thesis builds on J.W. Taliaferro’s ‘’ resource extraction model’’, applying it to the field of energy security. This research reveals that the Czech Republic’s strategy of diversification is the result of a higher perception of Russia as a threat when compared to Hungary. In addition, the left-right political orientation of each country’s elites highly correlates with the type of energy policy pursued. This thesis contributes to the literature of energy security by identifying perceptions of foreign policy executives and constraints in the domestic sector to be significant hindrances in the pursuit of an efficient energy policy. The neoclassical model of resource extraction is also applied for the first time to the field of energy and is found to be highly relevant in this issue area. The paper concludes by suggesting most likely future scenarios and offers short-term recommendations to both governments. |
| Supervisor | Andreas Goldthau |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2011/o-donoghue_cillian.pdf |
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