Cette thèse traite des rapports État-entreprise du secteur de l'énergie dans le contexte de la mondialisation. Son objectif est de comprendre et d'analyser les stratégies d'influence réciproque entre les acteurs publics et les grandes transnationales. Pour ce faire cinq cas d'étude précis d'une relation État-entreprise, au travers d'une problématique territoriale, sont étudiés. Ces cinq cas, choisis sur toute la planète et dans toutes les énergies permettent d'appréhender l'ensemble des facettes du phénomène sans toutefois que l'analyse ne soit biaisée par une orientation culturelle trop marquée. En effet en choisissant d'étudier aussi bien des entreprises occidentales que russe, brésilienne ou chinoise, c'est l'ensemble des pratiques qui est étudié. Cette analyse de cas donne lieu à une modélisation des relations État-entreprise dans le secteur de l'énergie avec trois grands types, caractérisés par des forces et des faiblesses. Ils se répartissent en relations de subordination, d'arbitrage et d'opportunité, selon une proximité structurelle ou interpersonnelle. Ces types permettent, à leur tour, de brosser un panorama complet de la géoéconomie de l'énergie. La compréhension des dynamiques ainsi que des stratégies des différents acteurs, États, entreprises, organisations internationales et représentants de la société civile, participe de l'appréhension globale du phénomène de mondialisation et du nouveau rôle des firmes comme acteurs internationaux. / This PhD dissertation is about state-companies of the energy sector relationship in the context of globalization. It aims to understand and analyze the strategies of influence between public actors and transnational companies. In order to do this, five cases-studies of specific state-company relationship, through a territorial issue, are studied. These five cases, selected ail around the planet and in ail energies fields, allow to understand all facets of the phenomenon, avoiding the biases of a too important cultural orientation. Indeed, by choosing to study both Western and Russian, Brazilian or Chinese companies, the set of practices could be understood. Those case-studies analysis results in a model of state-business relations in the energy sector with three main types, characterized by strengths and weaknesses. They are divided into relation of subordination, arbitration and opportunity, according to a structural or interpersonal closeness. These types allow, subsequently, to provide a comprehensive overview of the energy geo-economics. Understanding the dynamics and strategies of various stakeholders, governments, companies, international organizations and civil society organizations such as NGOs, helps to the overall comprehension of globalization phenomenon and the new role of companies as international actors.

The fossil gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 between Russia and Germany has caused massive criticism in the West. At first sight, it appears paradoxical that Germany, an influential member of NATO and the EU, approves more dependence on an increasingly assertive Russia. This, recently after launching an extensive green transformation of its energy system. The grand theories of IR struggles to get a firm grip of the case. This master thesis explores how the political line can be understood, and what it tells us about German foreign policy in a broader context. The study is carried out as a case study, mapping the material circumstances of supply and demand of natural gas, as well as looking into the domestic and international actors involved. Theoretically, the concept of geo-economics is deployed combined with the analytical pair of logic of appropriateness and consequence in decision-making, with the aim to achieve theoretical sensitivity. The premiss of the analysis is that energy security is existential for modern industrialized states and thereby rather obligatory to solve for political leaders to solve. In the specific case do natural gas occupy relative benefits that makes it favourable for Germany. Depleting resources of gas, crummy alternatives, and the historical and present conditions of interdependence, has become evident as key variables behind the decision-making. However, the argument is also made that the specific decision says relatively little about the general democratic and multilateral objectives of Germany. Hence, Nord Stream 2 should be analysed in the light of the unique nature of energy politics and the case specific circumstances. The conclusion is that the political line of Germany regarding Nord Stream 2 should be understood as driven by the pursuit of energy security, in combination with a range of case specific, mostly material, circumstances.

The aim of the Geopolitics of Oil is to find a theoretical conceptualization of oil trade regime evolution and its changes during the period between the end of the World War II and 2011. This thesis builds on the two major theories of international relations: neorealism and interdependence theory. The theoretical part of the paper analyzes their main contributions and weaknesses. This enables to formulate the new approach to political economy of oil with a special emphasis on geo-economics. This thesis seeks to answer two main research questions: 1) "Under which conditions do oil exporters consolidate their energy sector?" and 1) "What is the reason for engagement of foreign powers in the oil regions?" This thesis examines relations between exporters from the Persian Gulf and the United States. Interdependence theory is tested by a calculation of symmetry or asymmetry in interdependent relationship between importers and exporters, which is done by a comparison of the market shares between the two during the period of changes in the oil trade regimes. Neorealist theory and political economy of oil approach are examined through detailed case studies that inquire how oil importers and exporters have tried to use oil to pursue their own power interests. This thesis concludes that the geopolitics of oil...