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On Wednesday, Energy Minister Albert Rösti explained the Federal Council's plan to remove the ban on nuclear power plant construction from the law. (archive image)
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A ban on new nuclear power plants has been in force in Switzerland since 2017. Now the Federal Council wants to lift this principle - as an indirect counter-proposal to the "Stop the blackout" initiative.
The ban on the construction of new nuclear power plants, which has been in place since 2017, is to be lifted. On Wednesday, the Federal Council decided to submit an indirect counter-proposal to the "Stop the blackout" initiative to Parliament. The core of the plan: The ban on new or extended nuclear power plant general licenses is to be removed without replacement - this would mean that new projects would in principle be possible again.
Although the state government formally rejects the initiative, it supports the central idea of making energy policy "technology-open". The aim is to provide security in the event that the expansion of renewable energies, seasonal electricity storage and other climate-friendly alternatives do not progress as hoped.
The fundamental decision was already made last year - by a narrow 4 to 3 vote. Energy Minister Albert Rösti (SVP) prevailed with the support of Guy Parmelin (SVP) and the FDP Federal Councillors Karin Keller-Sutter and Ignazio Cassis.
The then centrist Federal Councillor Viola Amherd and the SP members of parliament Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Beat Jans opposed it. The new centrist Federal Councillor Martin Pfister also signaled his opposition.
The first threats of a referendum came from the left. SP National Councillor Nadine Masshardt stated in a press release: "Nuclear energy is not only neither sustainable nor renewable, but also poses considerable security risks and creates new dependencies on authoritarian states that supply the necessary raw materials."
Green National Councillor Marionna Schlatter criticizes blue News: "By the time a new nuclear power plant is built, the energy transition will have long since taken place. A return to nuclear power is risky, expensive and unnecessary."
National Councillor Nadine Masshardt (SP/BE) criticizes the nuclear power plant decision. (archive picture)
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Bernese FDP National Councillor Christian Wasserfallen, on the other hand, is delighted: "The ban was always wrong. Now it's time to put aside this ideological blockade of thought. It's urgent. Photovoltaics and hydropower alone will not be enough in future - especially not in winter. If we want to have a secure power supply and achieve the climate targets at the same time, we cannot avoid nuclear energy." Other conservative parties initially refrained from making a statement.
In the National Council, the SVP - together with small right-wing parties - and FDP together have 94 out of 200 seats, in the Council of States 19 out of 46. The SP, Greens and GLP all want to defend the ban, while the majority in the center are likely to be against it. However, individual dissenters could ensure a close vote.
In the end, the voters will probably decide. The initiative would face a higher hurdle than the counter-proposal, as a majority of the cantons is required in addition to a majority of the people.
