Bartlomiej Kozek

Burning wood for heat is an archetypal human activity; few images conjure up domestic security as powerfully as a bright fire at the hearth. Classified as renewable heat under EU rules, the reality of wood-burning is infinitely more complex: much of it is unsustainable, undermining climate goals and worsening air quality. Rising prices of biomass are also exacerbating inequality, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, where many low-income households depend wholly on firewood for home heating.

In the Polish region of Silesia, coal caused massive levels of pollution, but it also brought significant economic development. Amid pressure to phase out fossil fuels, workers, mining unions, and local communities are demanding that the transition take place in a socially and economically just way.

Mimo, że konserwatyści nadal dominują w Europie Wschodniej, większość nieliberalnych partii nie radzi sobie najlepiej. Jeśli postępowcom uda się zmobilizować elektorat w krajach o tradycyjnie niskiej frekwencji, wybory do UE w 2024 r. mogą stanowić punkt zwrotny. Jeśli podzielimy UE na trzy regiony geograficzne, Europa Wschodnia będzie prawdopodobnie tym najbardziej konserwatywnym.