Europe’s responses to Fukushima: Nuclear Renaissance Revisited?

The Fukushima incident not only raised the question of nuclear safety, but also appears more globally as a potential major threat to the so-called “nuclear renaissance”. This direct consequence of the Japanese catastrophe is particularly visible in Europe, where it coincided with the 25th anniversary of the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl. It has incited heated discussions about the desirability of nuclear power. By awakening dormant fears that appear to be very strong within the public opinions, this debate threatens to halt what too many had seemed like a budding nuclear renaissance. For many observers, Fukushima marks the “end of nuclear” more than Chernobyl ever did, mostly because it took place in a very advanced country. There has been a big change in attitudes as a response to Fukushima as powerful as there was to the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, according to most observers. Europe’s divisions over nuclear power have deepened since Fukushima, notably with Britain and France remaining steadfast supporters, Italy shelving plans to build new plants and Germany calling for a phase-out.

The revision of the nuclear renaissance accelerated by the divergences of the member states has potential important consequences in a continent where nuclear energy has been particularly successful. In the past decades, the EU countries have been considered world leaders in the field of nuclear energy, largely due to the lack of natural resources that convinced some states to adopt a pro nuclear policy.

This paper studies the European reactions to the Fukushima disaster and the divergences in nuclear policies implemented by member states since. After focusing on the media reaction, it will analyze the political responses, opposing the German approach and the Franco-British pro-nuclear posture, before studying as a conclusion the effects of these divergences at the EU level.