Clash of Perspectives: Analyzing the Climate Debates in CEE+ Region before the 2024 Election
Vendula Kazlauskas
/ Ed. 6. 3. 2024
The public debate on climate policies and decarbonisation measures is undergoing significant changes in the European Union. Public opinion in Member States across the EU is influenced by a number of interrelated challenges - be it rising energy prices, the need to ensure energy security, or the demand for rapid implementation of measures under the European Green Deal. The clash between economic interests and environmental objectives has become a central issue across the EU and represents a major challenge to public acceptance of the forthcoming economic transformation.
This set of analyses examines specific climate policies and the state of public debate on the European Green Deal ahead of the 2024 European Parliament elections in selected EU states: the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain and France. The aim of the authors from each country was to explore the media coverage of these issues, to understand the different perspectives and arguments shaping the public debate, and to see how official reactions and media portrayals of the suggested measures contribute to this debate.
The first part of this paper introduces the different national chapters authored by experts from the respective countries, members of the European Green Deal Think Tank Network, which is coordinated by AMO. They focus, among other things, on the details of the climate-related arguments, the response to the climate crisis, the energy transition and the challenges for industry.
The following chapters are comparing the key narratives. The final section proposes recommendations and highlights opportunities for positive change. It will be essential to adopt measures for socially just transformation and to focus on effective communication of individual measures to bridge the gap between policy goals and their public perceptions.
