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Gas makes or breaks economies, as shown by the effects of the 2009 Ukraine/Russia gas supply crisis. Joshua Posaner looks at four case study countries in Central and Eastern Europe. He examines the interdependence between the domestic political structure of a gas import-dependent country and the price it paid for imports up to 2014, using the level of reliance on the dominant supplier as an indicator. The more dependent a country is on a single supplier, the more it pays for its supplies. The author aims to explain why capitals prioritize energy security and balance their import portfolios differently, while taking a new angle on the European gas system. He offers a timely investigation into an oft-reported subject, with Russia?s perceived ?energy weapon? and themes of ?energy dependence? weighing heavily on European political discourse.

Energy Security.- Research Design and Case Selection.- Case Studies: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary.- Relationship between Price and Dependence.- Re-Appraising the ‘Energy Weapon’.

Joshua Posaner studied at the University of Greenwich, School of Oriental and African Studies, University College London and completed his doctoral thesis at Freie Universität Berlin.