The radioactive elephant in the room

The EU’s relationship with nuclear power is like a complex and somewhat toxic relationship. On one side, there is the undeniable allure of clean energy to fight the climate crisis; on the other, there is the burden of radioactive concerns and the constant anxiety of a potential meltdown.

Italy’s nuclear history has been marked by flirtation and rejection. After a brief period of activity of nuclear power plants between 1963 and 1990, Italy witnessed a dramatic shift. Public fear, fueled by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, led to a 1987 referendum that effectively shut down the country’s nuclear program.

Similarly, in 2011, Italians overwhelmingly rejected new nuclear power plans advocated by then-PM Silvio Berlusconi, especially in light of the Fukushima disaster earlier that year.

Today, Italy remains one of only three countries, along with Lithuania and Germany, that completely phased out nuclear power for electricity generation after, at some point in history, having operational reactors within their sovereign borders.

However, the energy crisis triggered by the Russian war against Ukraine sparked a new conversation and a shift in public perception in favour of nuclear power in Italy. Challenges remain, as the country cannot decide whether to stick to its ‘old flame’ (the reactors it closed in the 90s)…