The EU has long shown a global leadership in addressing climate change. As a member of the European Union, Bulgaria must comply with the master plan of the EU's energy strategy. However, because of its heavy reliance on coal-fired power generation, Brussels's urgent directive to shut down thermal power plants could plunge Bulgaria into deep "energy poverty". As a result, bulgarian officials were cautious and hesitant to make up their minds. Only recently, in order to secure EU funding for post-pandemic recovery, bulgaria's caretaker government had to make a commitment to shut down domestic coal plants by 2038 to 2040 in its economic recovery plan formally submitted to the European Commission.
Bulgaria's hesitation is bitter. Its domestic energy structure determines that "coal abandonment" cannot be achieved overnight. Nearly 40% of Bulgaria's electricity comes from thermal power generation, and this part of the energy supply gap is difficult to be replenished by other means in a short period of time. Therefore, a sharp rise in electricity prices is basically an inevitable result. As one of the least economically developed member states of the European Union, the burden of living for Bulgarians will be exacerbated, and manufacturing companies will also suffer from rising costs that will lead to a decline in competitiveness. In addition, in order to reduce environmental pollution and improve power generation efficiency, Bulgaria's coal-fired power plants have previously invested heavily in the introduction of desulfurization process technology and repair power units, and if they are forced to shut down, then the relevant investment in the early stage constitutes a direct economic loss.
Politicians during the political "vacuum" are unable to make decisive decisions. Bulgaria's political situation has been volatile since last summer, with an increasingly fragmented political scene, with neither of the two national elections held this year that have been held to produce a cabinet. With more than 100,000 people working in coal-related industries in Bulgaria, parties must argue with reason and show loyalty and concern for the population in the face of pressure from the European Commission. A few days ago, in the face of Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission, who came to supervise the implementation of the "European Green Agreement", Bulgarian Caretaker Prime Minister Yanev did not back down and stressed, "We support the green transition, but at the same time we must protect our businesses." We must take measures to protect our core industries and workers and to ensure the economic and social stability of our country."
The attitude of EU institutions to promote green transformation has also made all walks of life in Bulgaria quite critical. The energy structure of EU member states is very different, the energy transition plan is also different, coupled with the recent rise in energy prices, the differences between countries have emerged, but the EU seems to be unimpressed. Bulgarian energy expert Boris Łáv wrote that although the economic crisis is still raging, the global energy market is constantly fluctuating, and the European energy crisis is intensifying, the bureaucratic elite of the EU institutions is indifferent at all, and the "European Green Agreement" is still in full swing, which makes the Bulgarian people feel incredible.
In fact, there are not a few EU member states that, like Bulgaria, have reservations about green transitions. At the recent EU summit, Hungary, Poland, Malta, Slovakia and other countries hope that the EU will slow down the process of energy transition. Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán has publicly accused the EU's climate change policy of being a "utopian fantasy" that will only raise energy prices and destroy the middle class. Poland, the Czech Republic and Spain also demanded that the EU limit speculation in the emissions trading market, arguing that speculation has pushed the price of carbon emissions to historic highs.
It seems that in the process of promoting green recovery after the epidemic, how to balance the national interests of different energy structures and industrial structures, taking into account short-term economic needs and long-term structural reforms, will be a new proposition that the EU needs to think deeply about in the next step.
Author: Cai Chun
Source: Economic Daily
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