Shale Gas U-Turns in Bulgaria and Romania: The Turbulent Politics of Energy and Protest
Journal: TH Wildau (Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau)
Year: 2014

After France, Bulgaria became the second EU country to enact an open-ended ban on hydraulic fracturing in early 2012. This government action was a radical departure from an initially friendly, even enthusiastic stance on unconventional gas development. It resulted in months of unprecedented, broad political pro-test from environmental groups and local communities. The conflict was interpreted as one involving old questions about Bulgaria’s orientation toward Russia or the West. In neighbouring R