Jakub M. Godzimirski

New Political Economy of Energy in Europe. Power to Project, Power to Adapt

This edited collection details and analyses the dramatic changes that the international political economy of energy has undergone in the past decade. This change began with the increasing assertiveness of Russia when the oil price rose above the $100 mark in 2008. This, combined with the rise of shale oil and gas, made the USA all but self-sufficient in terms of fossil fuels. The collapse of the oil price in 2014-15, Saudi Arabia’s new strategy of defending its market share and the increasingly tense and controversial relationship between the West and Russia all worked to further strengthen the geopolitical dimension of energy in Europe. The global result is a world in which geopolitics play a bigger part than ever before; the central question the authors of this volume grapple with is how the EU – and European small states – can deal with this.

Polen mellom fortid, notid og framtid

2015 markerer eit viktig skilje i Polens nyare historie. For fyrste gong etter den store politiske omveltinga i 1989 fekk landet ei rein fleirtalsregjering og ein president frå same politiske parti.

Changing representations of Poles in Norway: what can this mean for the future of Polish diaspora?

The aim of this chapter was to examine how the perception of Polish migrants had evolved in Norway in a longer historical perspective and how this evolution of perceptions may influence the situation of the Polish diaspora in Norway. The study is based on the analysis of the content of Norwegian media in two periods – prior to the 2004 EU enlargement and in 2014. The study maps how the situation of Poles in Norway has been presented in main media outlets, how the Polish community in Norway has been framed and how those perceptions have evolved during the last decade. The chapter maps whether the issue of Polish migration to Norway has been politicised in the aftermath of the massive inflow of Polish labour migrants after 2004 and how those attempts at politicisation of the issue of Polish migration in particular, and migration in more general terms, may impact on the situation of the Polish diaspora in Norway.

How to understand and deal with Russian strategic communication measures?

Russia’s use of communicative tools to promote the country’s strategic objectives in the aftermath of the 2014 crisis in Ukraine has posed a new strategic challenge to the Western policy-making community. NATO, the EU and national authorities have become increasingly aware of this new challenge, and have taken measures to reduce the negative impacts of Russian (dis)information campaigns.

Nordic-Baltic Security in Times of Uncertainty: The Defence-Energy Nexus

The report shows that energy and defence in the Nordic-Baltic region are closely interrelated. During the Cold War, the energy cooperation of Western European countries with the USSR was seen as an element of strengthening the status quo and reducing the risk of conflict. In the new strategic situation, when Russia is interested in regaining the status of regional and global power, there is a real threat that Kremlin will use Europe's dependence on Russian gas to divide NATO and the EU. The Russian military advantage in the region, the ability to block access to Alliance forces and the ability to influence its members through energy blackmail may encourage Russia to test NATO's credibility, increasing the risk of conflict in the region. NATO's ability to deter Russia creates a natural platform of cooperation for Norway and Poland. Both states should also be interested in reducing the Alliance's dependence on Russian energy resources.

Energia i obronność w regionie Nordycko-Bałtyckim