Derogating, de-risking, and pooling processes of Energy Union(dis)integration

What might the pursuit of an ‘Energy Union’ reveal about the social power relations underpinning the EU's green transition? This chapter adopts a historical political economy approach to examine the main energy and climate policy initiatives strengthening the notion of an ‘Energy Union’ during the first von der Leyen Commission (2019–2024) – a period marked by a turn towards more assertive industrial policy. The analysis draws on policy sources and 20 expert interviews to identify three political economic processes. These reveal the reconfiguration of the EU project around a new strategy of capital accumulation, hinging on: (i) regulatory exceptionalism, and (ii) the pooling of state sovereignty, to (iii) de-risk private investments in low-carbon energy. The implications of this strategy stretch well beyond Europe's borders. As a result, the EU risks tethering itself to import-dependent, energy-intensive lifestyles, thereby potentially undermining both the EU's internal cohesion and the effectiveness of its environmental agenda.