(Imran Khalid – The Interpreter) For the better part of a decade, Europe’s energy policy was a subset of its moral identity. The Green Deal was the continent’s secular religion, a vision of a post-carbon future that would lead the world by example. But as we move into February 2026, a cold realism has settled over the continent. The “greenlash” – that potent mix of farmer protests, industrial anxiety, and voter fatigue over rising costs – has finally forced a fundamental mutation in how the European Union views its pipes and wires. The shift is not a retreat from decarbonisation, but a profound rebranding of it. The European Commission’s 2026 work program, aptly titled Europe’s Independence Moment, makes the new consensus clear: the climate transition is no longer just about saving the planet but the military and strategic survival of the state. By reframing the transition as “Energy Sovereignty” rather than “Environmental Stewardship,” European leaders are attempting to outmanoeuvre the populist anger that nearly derailed the project. As Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted upon flagging the program in September, this is the moment for Europe to “take control over the technologies and energy sources that will power our economies.”
Rebranding Europe’s energy transition from climate policy to survival | Lowy Institute
