Why Norway’s Political Crisis Is a European Energy Problem
The 30-year-long trend of integration and liberalization of the region’s electricity market is at risk.
February 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM UTC
By Javier Blas
Javier Blas is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy and commodities. He is coauthor of “The World for Sale: Money, Power and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources.”
It may sound counterintuitive, but to grasp the government crisis rocking Norway, it helps to speak German. Because, putting aside local idiosyncrasies and political-party jockeying, it can’t be understood without knowing two Teutonic words that are today crucial in European politics and business: energiewende and dunkelflaute.
As European Union leaders gather for a “retreat” of informal discussions Monday at the Palais d'Egmont, in Brussels, they should pay attention to the upheaval in the continent’s north — and the two German words.
It’s not about Nordic politics: At risk is the 30-year-long trend of integration and liberalization of the European electricity market.
https://archive.ph/6ytCT#selection-1199.0-1577.135
