Rome – Green light to Nuclear Phase-out / Feu vert pour Sortie du Nucléaire

Italy’s Constitutional Court’s green light for a national referendum on the re-introduction of nuclear power, yesterday, is a victory for the anti-nuclear movement. The popular vote, set for June 12-13, is expected to be a major test for Silvio Berlusconi and his ruling coalition that suffered a defeat in local elections last week, reports UPI . Polls predict an overwhelming majority for a SI, a yes to a phase-out.

Moratorium
Italy abandoned its nuclear programme after a referendum in 1978. But the Berlusconi government decided in 2008 to relaunch it in 2013, a decision which was due to be submitted to a referendum on June 16. Because the Fukushima disaster made a positive outcome highly improbable, he cancelled the referendum and decreed a moratorium on the construction of new plants of one year, after which, he hoped, public anxiety would have disappeared.

‘Senseless Decision’
According to Rebecca Harms, energy speaker of the Greens-EFA in the European Parliament, a SI to the phase-out may change the European balance. Germany, Belgium and Switzerland already have decided to close their plants, she said during a press conference this afternoon. Ireland, Denmark, Austria, Portugal, and Greece never have started one. And France has re-opened the debate about the risks.’

‘What message do you have for the UK government’, an English journalist asked, ‘which decided that nuclear energy will be part of the countries’ energy mix?’ ‘The British government also decided that no public money will be invested’, said Dany Conh-Bendit, president of the EU Greens. ‘But because building new plants is impossible without public money, that decision doesn’t make sense.’