We are delighted to present you the 2nd issue of 4liberty.eu Review devoted to the challenges Europe must face in terms of energy. Read the editorial below and preview the magazine on Issuu.

EU Needs Energising

The recent events in France showed that even the French cannot feel safe. Our European code of conduct seems to pose an increasing threat to those who do not share our values. The tragic events at Charlie Hebdo inevitably contribute to the long-standing discussion on freedom of speech and, by extension, freedom of the press. And it seems that the line between exercising those rights and balancing on the verge of hate speech is much thinner than we thought.

In the meantime, Vladimir Putin’s ambitions continue to feed on Ukraine – as the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, has recently reported during World Economic Forum in Davos, the Russian involvement in eastern Ukraine has escalated and now amounts to 9,000 troops. But hasn’t Russia always been trying to build its power on external expansion? Not that it’s any excuse. The problem is that we seem to be constantly surprised by the further moves of Mr Putin and it’s high time we all acknowledged the situation and power them down.

Power seems to be the key word in the relations between the EU and Russia. As the sanctions imposed by the EU appear to have slightly backfired, Europe must secure its energy supplies so we won’t end up as powerless energy players. There is, however, one substantial problem. In the light of the 20-20-20 targets, the European task to secure its energy capacity gets quite complicated.

Europe is trying hard to save the world when it is failing in its own backyard. The strong, unanimous, unified front of the EU with regard to energy policy – which may eventually take the form of an Energy Union – and the EU that would protect our own interests is a must. We should try to be less dependent on external suppliers, to make use of our own energy potential – may it be renewables, shale gas or even coal. We need to charge our European batteries, exercise our potential and stop being submissive. As – as you may read in this issue of 4liberty.eu Review – “weakness always emboldens”, and the EU may end up having no staying power.

Enjoy your reading,

Olga Łabendowicz
Coordinator of 4liberty.eu network

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