Natural gas generates around one fifth of Europe s electricity, it is fundamental for heating residential and commercial areas and it is also necessary for multiple industrial processes. The year of 2022 was particularly turbulent for the natural gas market, due to the Russian War against Ukraine making prices skyrocket, with the fear of an European winter without the continent s main gas supplier. With Russia cutting most of its natural gas flows to Europe, questions were raised around the necessity of energy independence, and the need to boost other energy sources, such as renewable energy or even coal for a temporary period of time. Consequently, with the need to lower demand and replace supply, many challenges emerged, which are explained in depth in the following chapters. At the same time, Europe has already made promises and signed agreements with the goal to lower greenhouse gas emissions, a task that becomes more urgent every year, with increases in global temperatures nearing irreversible levels. With this scenario in mind, this project discusses the balance between energy transition and energy independence, in an attempt to understand the future of natural gas in Europe.