Germany, possible nuclear rethink

German economy minister urges nuclear power rethink as energy prices soar.
Katherina Reiche’s call comes as Berlin launches investment summit to
help revive Europe’s largest economy. Germany’s economy minister has
called for a rethink of her country’s opposition to nuclear power,
warning that its reliance on gas leaves it vulnerable to energy shocks.
Reiche’s comments reflect a deepening debate in Germany over the legacy
of the nuclear phaseout, decided under former chancellor Angela Merkel in
2011 and completed under Olaf Scholz. While the policy was paired with an
expansion of renewables, it has increased reliance on gas for baseload
electricity. European gas prices have soared more than 60 per cent since
the start of the Iran war, thrusting the continent into its second energy
price shock in less than five years. German electricity prices for May
based on futures contracts are four times as high as those of France,
Europe’s largest nuclear power producer, according to energy marketplace
EEX. Reiche, a member of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic
Union, urged Germany to take part, in some way, in the nuclear power
revival in Europe. Alongside France, countries including Sweden and Poland
are either investing in new nuclear stations or extending reactors’
lifespans because the electricity is low carbon and reliable.

 FT 1st April 2026 

 https://www.ft.com/content/96676f06-9cd5-434e-8314-e880ae7f6b93