NUCLEAR TALKS:GERMAN CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel has called for Europe-wide stress tests on nuclear power plants across the continent amid embarrassing claims that her own nuclear moratorium at home is an election stunt.
As Dr Merkel tried to seize the nuclear initiative at the Brussels summit yesterday, domestic fears on nuclear energy – prompted by the Japanese crisis – looked increasingly likely to tip public opinion against her Christian Democrats (CDU) in Sunday’s election.
With events in Portugal dominating the agenda, Dr Merkel’s initiative failed to excite other EU leaders. Despite backing from Austria and others, her call was greeted coolly by France, Europe’s nuclear energy champion.
Germany had added the issue of stress tests to the summit’s already full agenda, she said, because it was “impossible to go back to normal” after events in Japan.
“I will push intensively that our neighbours outside the European Union too carry out such tests.”
EU energy ministers reached only vague agreement on tests earlier this week, and Switzerland has already declined to join up. That prompted Germany to go ahead with plans for its own national test plan, an attempt to address growing domestic concerns.
Days after the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Dr Merkel ordered a three-month shutdown of the seven oldest of Germany’s 17 nuclear plants, including in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg where voters go to the polls on Sunday.
Six months after extending the life of the same nuclear plants, the German leader is now in favour of a “measured exit” from nuclear energy. Her vigorous denials that she is electioneering were undermined by an apparent admission to that effect by her economics minister Rainer Brüderle in a closed-door meeting with business leaders.
The Süddeutsche Zeitungprinted excerpts yesterday from the minutes of a meeting on March 14th, taking place as Dr Merkel announced the moratorium. An excerpt reads: "[Brüderle] . . . indicated that in light of the upcoming state elections, pressure is on politics and decisions are thus not always rational."
Mr Brüderle dismissed the claim as inaccurate, backed up by a government spokesman and the industry lobby group that hosted the event. Regardless, the damage appears to be done, prompting German opposition politicians to repeat their claim that the government is deceiving voters before weekend elections.
“This shows the complete mendacity of the government’s nuclear policy,” said Sahra Wagenknecht, deputy leader the opposition Left Party. “They are damaging democracy and cannot be surprised when more and more people lose trust in politics.”
Back in Brussels, environment groups warned EU leaders not to take the “fig leaf” option of voluntary safety tests. “The EU should ensure [tests] are compulsory, transparent, independent and lead to the rapid closure of plants which fail,” said Greenpeace.
