Reassessing the role of the state in energy post-energy crisis

In the pre-liberalization era, the EU energy market was predominantly state driven, with national governments owning energy companies to ensure secure energy supply. The liberalization process, propelled by the Gas Directives, shifted control to privatized entities, reducing state influence. In recent years, the European Commission has tried to influence the market through regulations (regulatory state), which have mostly aimed to reduce the power of Gazprom and Russia on the EU energy market. Next, to this regulatory state there existed a "partner state model", which saw national governments providing diplomatic and foreign support to their formerly state-owned companies. This symbiotic relation ensured that national energy security objectives were reached. Prontera argued that there was also a "catalytic model". In this model, governments take a facilitating role to these companies. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent events changed this. National governments appear to have taken a more active, and especially a more visual role in securing energy deals abroad. German Chancellor Scholz has visited Nigeria, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and many others in a quest for energy deals. Italian PM Meloni visited Algeria and Libya and President Macron visited Central Asia to foster access to energy in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In this paper, I will examine the renaissance of state in the external energy domain by exploring the middle of the road approach that larger EU member countries have taken in securing access to energy supplies. The research will employ a conceptual framework to assess the evolving state-market energy relations. This framework will consider not only the diplomatic engagements but also societal factors influencing energy deals, with an emphasis on environmental and societal standards. The paper will analyse the tension between security of supply concerns and the push for societal and environmental considerations.