Navigating trade-offs: Energy dependency, geopolitical shocks, and sustainability in European parliamentary debates

This study examines the evolution of energy and sustainability debates in European parliaments from 2014 to 2022, focusing on how national energy dependency moderates responses to geopolitical shocks, specifically, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The research uses quantitative text analysis via the BERTopic model to compare the allocation of parliamentary attention between immediate energy security concerns and long-term sustainability objectives. The analysis finds that, following the escalation of the conflict, countries with a higher reliance on imported energy allocate a comparatively smaller share of their debates to sustainability issues, as evidenced by decreased legislative engagement with the Sustainable Development Goals. This pattern suggests that structural vulnerabilities in energy supply might restrict legislative capacity to uphold long-term sustainability commitments as short-term security imperatives increase. It highlights the importance of policy approaches that effectively combine immediate energy security measures with long-term sustainability strategies to strengthen national resilience. • EU parliamentary debates reveal energy security vs. sustainability trade-offs. • Energy dependency moderates sustainability legislative focus post-geopolitical shock. • Higher energy dependency correlates with reduced SDGs focus. • Integrated policies needed to balance security and sustainability.