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- Title
Auf der Spielwiese des Populismus? Empirische Erkenntnisse zu lokalen Konflikten in der Energiewende.
- Authors
Marg, Stine; Radtke, Jörg
- Abstract
The Energiewende is putting various regions in Germany under increasing pressure. In addition on becoming climate-neutral, the goal of achieving independence from Russian fossil fuels calls for a faster expansion of renewable energies and power grids than ever before. However, the planning and implementation of energy infrastructures leads to increasingly fierce conflicts within local communities. We therefore focus on the following questions: What characterizes these conflicts? What are their inherent dynamics and their consequences? We presume that even if conflict theory ascribes disputes a vitalizing force, these currently appear to have an inhibiting effect on the achievement of the Energiewendegoals. The question whether the democratic potentials of the conflicts can be positively transformed in the sense of an agonistic model of democracy still remains unanswered. In fact, we suspect that these democratic impacts are being constrained by populist narratives circulating in discourses about the Energiewende. In this paper, we highlight three core issues: (1) First, we ask whether the Energiewende could be taken over by a populist agenda and to what extent local conflicts are shaped by populist influences. (2) Second, we discuss whether populist actors could exploit the Energiewende to make their mark and explore the extent to which local conflicts are shaped by populist influences. (3) Therefore, third, the questions arise whether the Energiewende has become a "playground" for populism and which specific phenomena of an "Energiewende populism" arise. By analyzing different energy conflicts in Germany, the article provides preliminary empirical findings on the preceding questions. The paper demonstrates that these disputes are not only characterized by specific local conflict traditions, but also by a high degree of heterogeneity and complexity. Furthermore, it identifies patterns of populist narratives that occur in various conflict settings. Finally, the article outlines possible approaches for conflict management and future research perspectives.
- Subjects
PRACTICAL politics; DEMOCRACY
- Publication
Zeitschrift für Politik, 2023, Vol 70, Issue 4, p469
- ISSN
0044-3360
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5771/0044-3360-2022-4-469