The German and French Energy Transitions – Have the Two Changed European Energy Policy?

With Germany and France – the two powerhouses of Europe – pursuing parallel energy transitions, one could have expected a shift in the general direction of EU energy policy as a whole. Germany and its Energiewende is currently viewed as a global pioneer for transforming its energy system and pursuing the twin objectives of decarbonizing its energy supply and phasing out nuclear power. In addition to Germany, France is now also establishing itself as an energy leader by debating to set itself more ambitious energy goals than those of the European Union. It may be too early to assess a change in the general direction of the EU energy policy as a result of what France and Germany are doing, as there are more prominent political priorities and challenges on the European Union’s agenda, such as the Ukrainian and economic crises in many parts of Europe. Looking toward the big climate conference (COP) taking place later this year in Paris, a number of countries are slowly getting their climate and energy houses in order, but an energy transition in Europe and beyond is still perceived as a burden on economies rather than as an integral part of a sustainable solution to boosting growth and combating energy security concerns.