According to a new survey, just over half of German citizens support revisiting the country’s policy of phasing out nuclear energy — a topic that has once again sparked intense debate amid ongoing coalition negotiations.
As reported by Deutsche Welle, citing a study by marketing firm Innofact, 55% of respondents are in favor of returning to nuclear power. Meanwhile, 36% oppose such a move, and 9% remain undecided.
A more detailed breakdown reveals that 22% of those surveyed believe that previously shut-down nuclear reactors should be restarted, while 32% support the construction of new nuclear power plants. At the same time, a majority — 57% — also favor continued investment in renewable energy sources. Only 17% oppose such investments, with the remainder undecided.
Interestingly, support for reviving nuclear energy is stronger in the southern and eastern parts of Germany compared to the north and west. The issue of nuclear power has once again become a focal point in political discussions, creating tension between the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, led by Friedrich Merz, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), with whom coalition talks are currently underway.
It is worth recalling that the decision to phase out nuclear energy was originally made in 1998 by a coalition of the SPD and the Green Party. Later, during Angela Merkel’s tenure as chancellor, the operational lifespan of nuclear power plants was extended. However, following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan in 2011, Germany decided to accelerate the shutdown of its reactors.
The last operating nuclear power plants in Germany were taken offline in early 2023.
