Europe’s energy sector is caught in the crossfire of rising populism. With elections approaching in Norway and Germany, governments are under pressure to prioritize short-term price stability over long-term market efficiency. Norway’s decision to impose fixed electricity prices has sparked concerns about weakened price signals and energy market fragmentation. Meanwhile, in Germany, the far-right AfD is gaining ground, threatening the country’s renewable energy expansion and interconnectivity with neighbours.

This week, Plugged In comes to you from Essen at the E-World Energy & Water trade fair, where the future of Europe’s energy markets hangs in the balance. Montel’s Siobhan Hall sets the scene before we hear from Hanns Koenig, Managing Director for Central Europe at Aurora Energy Research, and Amund Vik, former Norwegian deputy minister for petroleum and energy.

We discuss Norway’s shift toward energy protectionism, the growing backlash against renewables, the risks of fixed electricity pricing, and whether Europe’s integrated energy market is at risk of political unravelling.

Host: Richard Sverrisson - Editor-in-Chief, Montel.

Guests: Hanns Koenig, Managing Director for Central Europe at Aurora Energy Research; Amund Vik, Senior Advisor, Eurasia Group; Stephen Woodhouse, Director, Afry; Siobhan Hall, Brussels Correspondent, Montel News

Podcast editor: Bled Maliqi, Montel.