Towards an EU Post-Carbon Energy diplomacy? Mediating Estrangement in a Geopoliticised World

The transition to low-carbon energy systems is one of the biggest challenges facing the post-pandemic world. Yet, the collapse of oil prices and the spectre of a new economic crisis might do little to foster the massive investments and international cooperation needed. On the contrary, the current geopolitical context suggests declining stocks of trust among relevant actors, which undermine chances of international collaboration and transnational exchange. For example, even liberal-minded actors such as the EU and its member states have become warier about foreign acquisitions in the energy sector, due to concerns such as the rising exposure to cyber-attacks, political interference, or so-called ‘forced technology transfers’ which could affect the EU’s aim for technological leadership in sectors such as renewable energies or hydrogen. This paper examines this growing trend towards the geopoliticisation of the energy transition politics and the impact of this on the EU energy diplomacy. Building on the classical notion of diplomacy as “mediating estrangement”, this paper examines how (successfully) the EU tries to compensate its shift towards more geopolitical-oriented practices with new modes of diplomatic interaction aimed at fostering trust.