Listen: Which EU countries are switching back to nuclear energy?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.

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You can find the transcript here if you prefer reading:

Nuclear energy is no longer just a French affair.

The European Commission president has finally admitted that nuclear power has an important role to play in the EU’s energy mix.

But the question is: How many European countries are switching back to nuclear?

“While in 1990 one-third of Europe’s electricity came from nuclear, today it is only close to 15%. This reduction in the share of nuclear was a choice. I believe it was a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power,” said Ursula von der Leyen.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen made a real U-turn on 10 March while speaking at the Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris.

This is notable because she was a member of Angela Merkel’s government when Germany decided to accelerate the shutdown of its nuclear power plants in 2011.

Since then, she had been advocating for renewable energies to replace both nuclear and fossil fuels.

This stance was not shared by France. The country has lobbied hard in Brussels for nuclear energy to gain political approval — and perhaps even public support — because its energy mix is dominated by nuclear power. France also hosts a large number of nuclear reactors.

But there was strong opposition in Brussels to counter the French push.

Until recently.

The challenges of the climate transition and the phase-out of Russian gas began to cast nuclear energy in a new light. Now, the war in the Middle East—which has caused disruptions and spikes in energy prices—has sealed the deal.

Europe faces a triple challenge: providing affordable energy to its industries and citizens; reducing dependence on fossil fuels; and cutting CO2 emissions.

Nuclear is far from perfect, as Chernobyl and Fukushima showed. But it is also cheap, reliable, and emits no CO2.

So, which countries are making the switch now?

Italy is one of them. The country phased out nuclear power following a referendum in 1990, but it is now working to reintroduce the technology. 

Italian energy minister is even hoping to have nuclear power plants operational by 2030.

Belgium has also decided to extend the use of its two nuclear power plants for another ten years. The government also wants to remove any future shutdown deadlines.

Other example: Poland will soon begin construction of its very first nuclear power plant, with an estimated production start date of 2036.

Looking at the EU map, only a few countries do not yet operate nuclear power plants. Among these, at least eight are seriously considering a switch in the future—especially with the development of small modular reactors, which are cheaper, easier to produce, and considered safer.

In fact, only a handful of countries are keeping the door to nuclear firmly shut.

Could this still change?

The case of Poland offers a lesson.

The Polish population was strongly opposed to nuclear power after the Chernobyl catastrophe in 1986. But public opinion has evolved significantly over the past decade, especially after the war in Ukraine broke out. 

A survey commissioned by the ministry of climate in 2023 showed that nearly 90 percent of Poles now support the construction of nuclear power plants in the country.

Another factor that could drive change in some countries is political dynamics.

Germany, for instance, remains the largest EU country still opposing nuclear power. While Chancellor’s CDU [Christian Democratic Union] party actually favours nuclear, the issue hasn’t been brought to the table because other coalition partners remain strictly opposed.

But if the CDU were to govern alone—or in the unlikely event that the far-right AfD won elections—the door to nuclear could reopen.

All in all, it seems the catastrophes of Chernobyl and Fukushima are increasingly seen as belonging to the past.

The issue of nuclear waste has also been sidelined. High energy prices and the risk of electricity shortages have created a situation where Europeans can no longer afford to rule out any solution.

You are now briefed on the state of nuclear energy in the EU.