Politics Australia's voters also vote on nuclear power in May
The parliamentary election in the G20 state of Australia on May 3 will also decide whether the continent should have its first nuclear power plants. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is hoping for a second term in office and announced the election date on Thursday, is focusing primarily on the expansion of renewable energies. Conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton, on the other hand, wants to abolish the legal ban on nuclear power from the 1990s and have seven reactors built. While he promises voters lower electricity prices, most experts consider his plans to be unrealistic and warn of immense costs and risks.
28.03.2025, 11:27
SDA
Radioactive uranium is needed to operate nuclear power plants - and Australia's deposits are considered to be the largest in the world. To date, the country has mainly relied on the environmentally damaging combustion of coal and - to a lesser extent - natural gas to generate electricity. However, the proportion of renewable energies in the electricity mix has risen to a good third in recent decades, and the trend is growing. Critics claim that Dutton's plan to commission the first nuclear power plants in 2035 is illusory and that no nuclear power plant could be connected to the grid before 2040. The electorate is divided on the issue.
Even if his Liberal Party wins by a narrow margin in the polls, Dutton is unlikely to remain prime minister if electricity really does flow from nuclear power plants one day. It is true that the head of government in Australia can be re-elected as often as desired. However, the term of office is shorter than in most Western democracies and is just three years, which makes it difficult to implement complex projects and has recently led to regular changes of power in the capital Canberra. Albanese, whose Labor Party is most closely associated with the social democratic camp by German standards, must fear for his re-election.
Cost of living explodes - help from the USA uncertain
In any case, Australian voters are more likely to focus on issues other than energy policy. In view of the drastic rise in the cost of living and skyrocketing rents, low-income earners in expensive cities such as Sydney and Melbourne are struggling to make ends meet. Climate change is also a concern for many people, who are clearly feeling the consequences of increasing weather extremes such as heavy rainfall, flooding, devastating bushfires and storms.
In addition, the country fears for the support of its most important foreign policy ally in view of the change of power in the USA. With a population of 27 million and an economic output that is barely a third of Germany's gross domestic product, Australia is dependent on international cooperation. However, the country has become increasingly dependent on China - now by far its most important trading partner - in recent years. If relations with Beijing and the security situation in the Indo-Pacific were to deteriorate, it is questionable whether Australia could count on backing from Washington under US President Donald Trump.
