Just ten years ago, Russia inaugurated the first gas pipeline connecting it directly to Europe by the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 1. Since then, there has been the construction of Nord Stream 2, intended to double the quantities of gas shipped to Europe. The gas pipeline will be operational within a few weeks but many voices are raised against the excessive dependence of Europeans vis-à-vis Vladimir Putin.
Poland remains radically opposed to the project
If Warsaw categorically refuses the project, it is first of all because the gas pipeline bypasses Poland. The latter finds itself in a situation where Russia could turn off the tap to Warsaw while continuing to supply Germany and possibly the rest of Europe. A real danger for the energy security of all Eastern European countries short-circuited by Nord Stream 2, that is to say mainly Poland, the Baltic States and Ukraine.
The Polish government has also repeatedly alerted the German authorities to the possibility for Moscow to use Nord Stream 2 to blackmail for political ends. These fears, however, did not discourage Berlin.
The Polish government still had real hopes that gas deliveries would not start until the United States under the Trump administration was on its side. But the lifting of sanctions decided by Joe Biden and the Washington-Berlin agreement were seen in Poland as a stab in the back. Before the start of gas deliveries, there is still one formality, the certification by Germany of the company Nord Stream 2 AG which will manage the gas pipeline as an independent operator. The Polish Energy Regulatory Office sent a note to Berlin advising it against doing so, believing that Nord Stream 2 AG is controlled by the Russian giant Gazprom and therefore by the Kremlin. But as much to say, Poland is faced with a fait accompli.
For its part, Poland is preparing its energy future, it will not extend its contract with Gazprom after 2022 and will bet on Norwegian gas. The Baltic Pipe gas pipeline which connects Norway, Denmark and Poland is under construction. In addition, Poland is currently expanding a liquid natural gas delivery port at Swinoujscie on the Baltic Sea to be able to import gas from other parts of the world if needed. The development of renewable energies is progressing slowly, which also explains why the Polish government clings so much to its coal, even though it pollutes.
Bulgaria still in favor of the project
The Bulgarian position to defend the Nord Stream project opposes it to other countries in Eastern Europe, such as Poland, the Baltic States or Romania. The reason is linked to a privileged relationship with Russia and above all, again and again, the natural gas which flows freely in this small country of south-eastern Europe.
Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said he was openly in favor of Nord Stream 2. His political rival, President Rumen Radev, elected with the support of the pro-Russian Socialist Party, also defended Russian gas pipelines in Europe. Bulgaria is part of several of these projects.
After the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, Bulgaria had to abandon the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline under European and American pressure. It was to ensure deliveries of Russian gas to southern Europe. The abandonment of the project also soured relations between Moscow and Sofia. Bulgaria then joined the Turk Stream gas pipeline, which was designed to replace South Stream. In the eyes of the Bulgarian government, defending Nord Stream 2 therefore amounted to defending the national interest of Bulgaria.
The country depends, like most countries in Eastern Europe, heavily on Russian energy. The part connecting Bulgaria to Serbia came into service at the beginning of 2021, the part connecting Russia and Turkey in 2020. It is a gas pipeline which has cost Bulgaria dearly: around 1.5 billion euros. The country relied on transit taxes for a quick return on investment. But since it was put into operation, the pipeline has only brought in around fifty million euros in Sofia, which means that we will have to wait ten years for the financial profits. The name of the Bulgarian section of the pipeline has also changed several times to avoid US sanctions. It was first supposed to be the Balkan Stream, then the Bulgarian gas platform, to finally become only “the gas infrastructure. However, Bulgaria has had great difficulty in diversifying its deliveries of natural gas or oil. It imports all of its energy from Russia, including its nuclear fuel.