Split between accelerationists, pivoters, and the unwavering: CEE energy policy responses to Russia’s 2022 invasion

The European Commission proposed to accelerate the EU’s energy transition and phase out Russian gas in response to Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, prompting different reactions from Central and Eastern European Member States. This paper explores the responses from these countries by tracing the institution-altering effects of politicisation and securitisation. It proposes a taxonomy based on state actions: ‘accelerationists’ align with the Commission’s ambition to hasten the green transition and reduce the role of Russian natural gas; ‘pivoters’ acknowledge the security threat and have eliminated Russian imports but seek to retain natural gas as a transition fuel by turning to alternative suppliers; and ‘the unwavering’ do not securitise the issue and thus resist change. The paper draws on the comparison of original National Energy and Climate Plans published in 2019 and their post-invasion updates to explore how the energy transition interacts with external shocks.