The Czech EU Presidency: Strengthening Energy Security Amidst the Crisis

Abstract

The Czech Republ ic took over the presidency of the European Union Counci l f rom France duri ng a deep crisis ignited by the aggressive Russian i nvasion of Ukrai ne. In fact, as a result of the i nvasion, the Czech presidency had to deal with a multitude of crises: not only the actual security crisis, that is, Russian forces attacki ng a country at the EUʼs border, but also an energy crisis mani fested by price hi kes and supply i nsuf f iciency, and an economic crisis caused by both of the above. As energy was among the priorities of the presidency, the article focuses on this area, assessi ng the presidencyʼs performance i n strengtheni ng the blocʼs energy security. The text focuses on electricity and natural gas markets, given the i mpact of the crisis on these areas and the fact that thei r f unctioni ng is communitarized. Retrospectively, it also takes on the topic of what the presidencyʼs mai n message and legacy were when it passed the proverbial baton to Sweden at the end of 2022. The research found that the agreements reached under the Czech presidency can i ncrease the Unionʼs energy security, namely the avai labi l ity and af fordabi l ity of energy suppl ies. The presidency also showcased the Czech Republ ic’s abi l ity to achieve broad agreement even on controversial points.