Politicization of climate change and Central and Eastern European countries’ stance towards the European Green Deal

This paper investigates the factors that led to the national adoption of the European Green Deal (EGD) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and shows how politicization affects national governments’ positions and commitments. Using a comparative analysis of Hungary, Poland, and Romania, our study shows that while issues of public opinion ideological leaning, fossil fuel dependency, economic context, and parties’ ideological leaning all contribute to the national position on the EGD, the influence of these factors is mediated and shaped by the politicization of climate change issues. Our analysis unveils the process and actors of climate change politicization and shows the non-linearity of this process. This study sheds light on the highly intricated mechanisms between climate change and climate change action at the national level and underlines the importance of understanding the political mechanisms through which international regulation can be operationalized through national-level policies and strategies.