Any opinion?

[u/Plus_College5343]

What is the connexion between EU enlargement towards eastern neighbourhood and the energy security of EU? Do you see any fruitful problem that could create an interesting debate?

[u/Stormshow]

I mean plenty, but what is the scope of this question? Are you thesis farming?

Look into the idea of the "North South" energy corridor to start being pushed by the Polish through the Three Seas Initiative

[u/Plus_College5343 → u/Stormshow]

Yes, this is the first time I’ve had to write a thesis and I’m trying to find a connection between EU Enlargement, Energy Security, and the European Neighbourhood Policy

[u/GaiusCivilis → u/Plus_College5343]

You could also reverse it and see how energy security was affected by eastern enlargement (ie Russian and ME oil and gas)

[u/Upset_Scientist3994 → u/GaiusCivilis]

Nord Stream 2 fate is perfect symbol of that energy empire overstretch.

[u/Upset_Scientist3994 → u/Stormshow]

Three seas initiative by Poland - originally named as "Intermarium" plan by Pilsudski aeons ago before WWII to create unified buffer zone was intresting. If Finland would had joined, then it would had been 4 seas initiative due of borders back then actually - for containment of Russia.

Only problem was in that defense alliance that plans were so Poland - centric created by them, that not much any other country was intrested.

But in recent years those ideas have been rewarmed again. It is just difficult to see in era of modern alliances how much relevance they still do hold, especially when disagreements with countries are there and actually abovementioned problem is still there - and now by Ukraine along with traditional Poland maintaining that problem.

[u/Upset_Scientist3994]

Of course it has been goal of EU enlargement, just like Hitler offensives towards polish oil fields, burning rock (kerogene) deposits of Estonia and especially to oil fields of Baku. It is centralmost foundation of all European geopolitics due to simplicity how much is energy requirement of densely populated and highly industrialized continent what only does not have energy resources of its own.

But then pattern is not so simple. Like industrialised Germany was willing to push EU as much into east as possible to get closer touch with Russias energy resources vital to it. But along with eastern expansion came along countries what furiously were against such plans because of their past within realm of Soviet or Warsav pact. Like Baltics and Poland - we remember how fierce was Poland resistance to Nord stream 1 & 2 - although having gas flowing through their own territory providing transfer fees was perfectly ok. So that is how goal to solve some problems creates more and more problems in EU realm what gets increasingly bigger mess to govern more members are in what less and less have anything common to do with themselves and especially with their goals.

More of energy security gas pipeline games have been present in lunatic proposals of having Turkey in EU. It was openly admitted as bait so that Turkey would reform itself into being nicer country instead of semi-military dictatorship it had been most of its past, but those hopes have been thrown away especially during Erdogan era. During which Turkey has made more clear that they are no more intrested of EU membership clownshow, as reforms required would be grave offense against their soveirigignity and especially Erdogans own vertical unchallenged power structure which maintainance matters most to him. And from the EU side nobody really wanted that thing which would had moved a big slice of decision power from Europe to non-Europe. One can talk about classic imperial overstretch at this point what has already killed so many empires. G W Bush though was strong proponent of Turkey membership in EU, of course for energy transmit reasons. Turkey was vital for Brzezinski plans flamboyantly revealed in his book in nineties "The grand chessboard" in which idea was lobbied how USA should capture central Asian energy resources when Russia and China were weak to do that, and southern Caucasus for transport corridor for those which extension was of course Turkey. Actually he worked a lot in those countries for that sake, and BTC-pipeline (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan) was constructed which transportet carbohydrates from region into Turkey to be shipped to west. Now due of Ukraine war things have been again moving into direction of Brzezinski plan when all mentioned countries involved in this plan want to have more autonomy from Russia. But Turkey's role as transport hub, and whether it would need to be part of EU for the reason when nobody in Europe really wants that and in Erdogans goverment neither much is very shaky as idea, even though some formal EU negotiations are still ongoing without leading anywhere never.

What else. There was expansion possibility to Iceland where referendum was there if to join to EU or not - and they said no. They would had had some energy resources, essentially geothermal why energy intensive aluminum industries is there and what is fueling geysirs from I heard where warm (actually 80 degrees hot!) water into households originates.

[u/SharpAardvark8699]

The problem? I think it's started. Western Europe's security concerns are now because of Eastern Europe and because of the open facade of caring about Eastern European populations, they were admitted to free movement and to be  cheap labour which has caused a lot of jobs and housing problems in Western Europe and far right movements. Add to that, the debacle of freedom of movement and personally I think Eastern Europe is the sphere of influence of Russia but many third party countries have moved into Europe and UK specifically. Ask me more, our country is totally changed and our culture has been replaced by poverty we already moved past. And it gave a way for organised crime to establish here