BRUSSELS — Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni wants to overturn a four-decades old ban on nuclear power, betting that energy security fears and soaring power prices will help her succeed where past governments failed.
But persuading one of Europe’s most nuclear-skeptic populations that the technology is safe won’t be easy, and a clumsy campaign could backfire on Meloni and her right-wing coalition.
Last week, the Italian premier said her government would approve a legal framework this summer to pave the way for nuclear power’s return, arguing the country needs new tools to shield itself from volatile fossil fuel markets and geopolitical shocks.
“By the summer, the enabling law will be approved and the implementing decrees adopted to establish the legal framework needed to resume nuclear power production in Italy,” Meloni told the Italian Senate.
