Von der Leyen defends nuclear power: "Turning our backs on it was a strategic mistake"

Paris / BrusselsFifteen years after the Fukushima accident, Europe is once again betting on nuclear energyUntil now, only a few member states—especially France, the European Union's leading nuclear power—had advocated for increased nuclear energy production and investment in the sector. Brussels had remained largely neutral, although in 2022 it yielded to French pressure to include nuclear power as a non-polluting energy source, classifying it almost as green energy. Now, however, the European Commission has fully aligned itself with France and believes that nuclear power must be expanded. "Europe made a strategic error by turning its back on a reliable, economical, and low-emission energy source," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her address at the nuclear energy summit held this Tuesday in Paris. The head of the EU executive and French President Emmanuel Macron have demonstrated their unwavering support for nuclear energy. Macron has called for more investment in the sector, especially now that the international geopolitical context is complex and dependence on hydrocarbons "can be an instrument of pressure and destabilization." The wars in Ukraine and Iran have made the vulnerability and energy dependence of many countries more evident, exposing them to escalating oil and gas prices. Nuclear energy accounts for 10% of the world's electricity production, with some 450 reactors spread across about thirty countries; France alone has 56.

The summit was attended by some forty countries, including nuclear powers like China and the United States, but countries opposed to expanding nuclear energy, such as Spain, were absent. In fact, despite Von der Leyen's forceful stance, not all European partners support nuclear power. Others are changing their position, such as Germany, a country that launched a plan to close nuclear power plants, a plan now being disavowed by the current Chancellor, Friedrich Merz. Just this Monday, the German leader described the plan as "irreversible," but said he "regrets" not being able to reverse it.

Deploy mini-reactors

Just hours after Von der Leyen's speech, the European Commissioners for Industry and Clean Transition, Stéphane Séjourné and Teresa Ribera, respectively, officially presented the measure and proposed investing over €200 million in the deployment of mini-nuclear reactors throughout the EU. Thus, in a context of rising fuel prices due to the Iran-Contra conflict, Brussels has seized the opportunity to "break taboos"—as Séjourné put it—and take another step in favor of nuclear energy and the "strategic autonomy" of the European bloc. "It makes sense on a geopolitical, economic, and social scale," the French official argued.

Furthermore, the European Commission has also proposed a plan to member states to lower electricity bills by reducing energy taxes. At this point, according to the European Commission itself, these charges represent 25% of the total price of electricity bills, and Brussels argues that reducing them would primarily benefit the most vulnerable households.