European Energy Securitization: Geopolitical Challenges with Russia in the Contested Neighborhood and the Case of the Southern Gas Corridor

Abstract

In the current security environment, the EU-Russia relation is the one that has caused most uncertainty and thus it has been for long time at the center of many debates in the field of International Relations. This paper argues that energy is the main reason behind their tensions. After giving an overview on how energy is placed in the International Political Economy, we will see how the actors under analysis have used it for their political ends. Their conflict of interests has however indirectly affected their contested neighborhood. A clear example is the recent construction and inauguration of the Southern Gas Corridor, an alternative for the EU dependency on Russian oil and gas. Through this project, the EU is gaining influence in the South Caucasus, a region in the post-Soviet space. The conclusions will illustrate the real motives behind the EU strategy and the Russian response according to its past behavioral patterns.