CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Friedrich, Mark Alexander |
|---|---|
| Title | Hydraulic Fracturing and Energy Security - The Cases of Bulgaria and Poland |
| Summary | This thesis seeks to explain how shale gas affects the approaches to energy security taken by Bulgaria and Poland. It takes a positivist approach and uses process-tracing. It claims that the decisions regarding hydraulic fracturing taken by the different member states have to be seen in the context of the international system, thus through the lens of International Relations theory. It takes a neo-classical Realist perspective. This paper argues that Bulgaria and Poland have chosen very different approaches to hydraulic fracturing. However, these approaches are ultimately just a reflection of the two country's energy policy in general, as they have taken very different approaches to their energy security in general. While Poland has developed a clear strategy of how to achieve energy security and is pursuing it, Bulgaria is subject to frequent shifts that have negatively affected the investment climate in the energy market. The cases show the complexity of how to pursue an energy strategy and the multiple factors that influence it. While the choice of sources remains subject to the particularities of the given country, there are always policy choices that can be picked. The implication of this finding is that what matters most for achieving energy security is consistency in politics, not the choice of source. |
| Supervisor | Balázs, Péter |
| Department | International Relations MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/friedrich_mark.pdf |
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