Pregledni rad
https://doi.org/10.32676/n.12.1.5
The political economy of the green transition as a reform process: a literature review with reference to the EU and the Western Balkans
Valentina Vučković
; Sveučilište u Zagrebu, Ekonomski fakultet
Sažetak
The green transition, i.e., a systemic shift from fossil-fuel-dependent economies toward lowcarbon
and environmentally sustainable systems, is increasingly recognised not only as a
technological challenge but also as a reform process shaped by numerous economic, political
and institutional factors. This review paper presents the literature on the political economy of
the green transition. The paper is structured around four interconnected analytical pillars: (1)
the role of the state and institutional frameworks in encouraging or blocking green reforms; (2)
the influence of different interest groups, incumbent industries and emerging coalitions in
shaping transition trajectories; (3) the impact of geopolitical turbulence on the pace and
direction of the green transition; and (4) specific experiences of the European Union (EU) and
the Western Balkan countries as illustrative examples of how these forces interact in practice.
Drawing on insights from political science, institutional economics and comparative political
economy, the paper systematically synthesises theoretical frameworks such as the concept of
the green state, the approach to socio-technical transitions, varieties of capitalism and the
political economy of reforms. The paper also identifies critical gaps in the literature, especially
concerning the understudied political economy of the green transition in the Western Balkans,
the democratic legitimacy tensions inherent in technocratic climate governance, and the need
to analyse how institutional structures mediate distributional outcomes across diverse political
contexts. By mapping this research area through the prism of political economy, the paper
provides a basis for future research into how states, interest groups, and geopolitical forces
shape the multidimensional process of the green transition.
Ključne riječi
green transition, political economy, just transition, green industrial policy, geopolitics
Hrčak ID:
346348
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2026.
Posjeta: 280 *