At a nuclear summit near Paris this week, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged a return to nuclear energy, calling some EU countries’ phase-outs a “strategic mistake” and describing nuclear power as a reliable, affordable, low-emission electricity source. She also announced new EU financial support for nuclear projects. Her comments struck a chord in Germany, which shut down its last reactor in 2023.
Von der Leyen’s pro-nuclear stance has a personal dimension: her father, Ernst Albrecht, a longtime CDU politician, once tried to site a final repository for highly radioactive waste in Lower Saxony. The Gorleben proposal provoked mass protests and was never realized, a reminder of how contentious nuclear issues have long been in Germany.
Germany’s relationship with nuclear power has swung over decades. From the 1960s onward, as many as 37 reactors supplied up to about 30% of the nation’s electricity at times. Public concern grew after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster; the Green Party, founded in 1980 on a strong anti-nuclear platform, helped push the country toward an exit when it joined a government with the SPD in 2000. A conservative-liberal government later extended reactor lifetimes in 2010, but the Fukushima disaster in 2011 prompted Chancellor Angela Merkel to resume a phase-out that culminated in the final plant closures in 2023. Spain and Austria have also declared permanent shutdowns of their nuclear fleets.
Von der Leyen’s call for renewed nuclear investment has produced mixed reactions in Berlin. Renewables such as wind and solar can be variable, and worries about energy security during crises — for example, Russia’s war in Ukraine and recent tensions in the Middle East — periodically revive the debate over nuclear options.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a CDU member, was clear this week that Germany will not reverse its phase-out. He said previous federal governments set the course and changing it now is not possible; he expressed regret but emphasized the government will focus on current energy policy. Reintroducing nuclear power would require a parliamentary majority that might have to rely on votes from the far-right AfD, with whom Merz refuses to cooperate.
The coalition picture is divided: the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, back nuclear power, while the junior partner SPD opposes new plants. Environment Minister Carsten Schneider (SPD) argued that nuclear energy has already cost taxpayers billions and contended that a risky, subsidized technology should not be pursued if better alternatives exist. He also dismissed enthusiasm for Small Modular Reactors, saying SMRs have been in development for decades without delivering a break‑through and continue to need subsidies.
Industry leaders share the skepticism. Markus Krebber, CEO of RWE, Germany’s largest electricity provider, said private investment in SMRs is unrealistic under current conditions: no supplier can promise fixed construction times and costs, he warned, and companies will not bankroll projects without that certainty.
Across the EU, opinions differ. France, which operates 57 reactors, has gathered an alliance of 15 states backing new nuclear construction, including countries such as Sweden and Italy. In Germany, the legacy of Chernobyl and enduring anti-nuclear movements continue to shape public opinion and policy.
This article was originally written in German.