Germany’s gas crisis generates nuclear dilemma for ruling Greens

Posted: 18th July 2022

By Riham Alkousaa and Andreas Rinke

BERLIN (Reuters) – German conservative politicians have revived debate on extending the life of the country’s three remaining nuclear power plants, and polls show a rise in public support for the energy source in the face of a possible cut-off of Russian gas.

But an extension is highly sensitive for Germany’s ruling Greens party, which grew out of the 1970s anti-nuclear movement.

Germany’s three remaining nuclear power plants are scheduled to be shut down by the end of the year after former chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to halt the use of nuclear electricity after the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011.