Are Poland and Hungary pushed toward or pulled by energy transition? A narrative analysis of experts' views

This study investigates whether the reluctance toward energy transition in Poland and Hungary—countries considered populist, supportive of traditional energy models, and laggards in European Union climate policy—is due to ideological or structural reasons. Despite sharing several characteristics, these countries differ in their energy mixes.
We collected views from 40 high-profile experts (20 per country) through in-depth interviews to identify the aims articulated in the discourse on energy transition. The experts' perspectives were assembled into country-specific narratives and analyzed using the methodological frame of: (1) push factors (negative conditions) and (2) pull factors (positive prospects) by interpreting the identified aims).
Differences in how both countries articulate their energy policy aims according to experts' narratives analyzed through a push/pull lens suggest that structural conditions—such as technical infrastructure and economic interests—fuel opposition to energy transition ambitions. For example, energy sovereignty is Hungary's country-specific energy policy aim, while economic competitiveness serves this role in Poland. However, similarities—such as concerns about energy security, affordability, and efficiency—suggest the significance of ideological factors. Therefore, the study has yet to offer a definite answer to the reasons for energy transition reluctance.
Moreover, our research has shown that both countries can serve as cases of environmental nativism, with attention focused on the interests of the nations endangered by the externally imposed policy; however, the experts' narratives underscoring the security point out environmental and energy justice aspects of the energy transition.