EIEE Webinar – Seminar

Title: The times they are a-changin’: How political attitudes change with energy prices

Speaker: Jan Steckel, Head of working group Climate and Development, MCC

Abstract: We study the impact of the 2022-2023 energy crisis in Germany on political  attitudes. We collect 4 waves of panel data to measure how political stances change with increasing energy prices for households. Our difference-in-differences estimation exploits unique features of the German energy sector’s billing routines, which allows for a quasi-experimental design. We show that increases in electricity payments lead to a decline in support for democratic institutions, with effects intensifying over time. We also find that the price shock increased support for the far-right populist party among people who have little trust in the responsible use of public money.

 

This webinar is part of ADJUST (Advancing the understanding of challenges, policy options and measures to achieve a JUST EU energy transition) a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101069880.

 

Register in advance.