Import dependency vs public opinion: Evidence-based readiness research of the EU countries to introduce new restrictive measures against Russian energy carriers

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the positions of the EU countries of readiness or unwillingness to join new restrictive measures against Russian energy carriers. The topic of blocking Russian raw materials is one of the most painful problems that arose as a result of the Ukrainian crisis. Many leaders and high-ranking officials of the EU countries expressed clear concern about the possibility of an economic shock as a result of the expansion of sanctions. The article, therefore, is devoted to the study of the factors of developing a political position and the role of evidence- based politics in this process. The key issue in the article is the contradiction between values and interests in the member states of the European Union — for this, a study was undertaken of the general behavior of the EU countries, public opinion, basic interests, as well as strategies to overcome the energy impasse. In order to achieve the required results, correlation and regression analysis, as well as qualitative comparative analysis based on Boolean algebra, was undertaken in the article. Cases were studied from the position of acceptable diversity, so economic, political, social and political-cultural variables were selected to obtain the results. The study of the evidence base as the basis for developing a political position and tools for its implementation is important for understanding the emerging energy strategy of the European Union, which will determine the development of the Eurozone in the coming years and possibly decades.