Cabinet ministers advocate for change in nuclear energy policy: A referendum could be held in that country
Matteo Salvini, leader of the far-right and a member of the ruling coalition in Italy, has advocated for a return to nuclear energy.
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Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini claimed that his country can no longer say 'no' to more nuclear energy, stating that the government must reopen the nuclear energy file.
Ministers from the right-wing coalition government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reignited the debate on returning to nuclear power at the Ambrosetti Forum yesterday, in a country where nuclear energy production has been banned since 1990.
ITALY MAY GO TO A REFERENDUM TO RETURN TO NUCLEAR ENERGY
In his speech, Salvini stated, 'I believe that in a new referendum, the majority of Italians would say 'Yes' to nuclear energy. My ministry is working to bring Italy back into the ranks of industrialized countries. This is important. Italy can no longer say 'No' to nuclear energy. One of the government's duties is to restart this file. Italian companies like Enel are working on nuclear energy in many countries, but not in Italy.'
At the same forum, Adolfo Urso, the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, who is responsible for economic development and cooperation, also said that they are working on foreign technology partnerships, which would enable them to produce third-generation nuclear reactors in his country.
NEW LAW COULD BE PREPARED BY THE END OF THE YEAR
Italy's Minister of Environment and Energy Security Gilberto Pichetto Fratin stated in an announcement on September 7 that he does not rule out the possibility of holding a third referendum on nuclear energy production, and that they are working to prepare a draft law for his country's return to nuclear energy production by the end of the year.
Italy is one of the major European economies that does not produce nuclear energy.
While nuclear energy was produced and used in Italy between 1963 and 1990, the country's nuclear power plants were shut down in 1990 following a public vote held in 1987 in the wake of the Chernobyl disaster.
In a 2011 public vote held to lift the ban on nuclear energy production in the country, the decision was made to keep the ban in place.