Narratives of the European Energy Crisis

The European energy crisis of 2021–2023 profoundly impacted households, businesses, and political systems across Europe, but its effects and the perceptions of them vary significantly between countries. These disparities arise, among others, from differences in energy infrastructure, relative reliance on Russian gas imports, government policy responses, and cultural-political contexts. The project “Narratives of the European Energy Crisis” investigates how citizens and experts across selected European countries perceive, narrate, and interpret the causes, responses, and implications of the energy crisis in the present. By combining a large-scale survey with advanced computational narrative analysis (Natural Language Processing and Large Language Models), the project systematically identifies narrative structures, causal sequences, character roles (e.g., heroes, villains, false heroes), and the expressed ability to actively influence and shape the development of energy futures. By comparing citizen narratives across socio-demographic groups and countries, the project explores how these narratives shape trust in institutions, policy preferences, and attitudes toward the energy transition and European cooperation. By comparing citizen and expert narratives, the project identifies the different understandings between the designers and the receivers of policy as well as potential miscommunication and misinterpretation of actions taken.

The findings will provide policymakers with insights into public perceptions, effective communication strategies, and opportunities to enhance trust and collaboration on energy policy. Methodologically, the project advances computational narrative research, offering tools to analyze complex societal issues. Ultimately, it aims to foster informed, responsive, and collaborative energy policies across Europe.