The French & German views of nuclear power

France and Germany are different though they are neighbors. France has open fields while Germany is rich in forests. Rational thought stressing the importance of mathematics flourished in France while romanticism focusing on mystical elements thrived in Germany. Despite the supremacy of Catholicism in France, secularism dominates the country. On the contrary, Germany is a Protestant country that collects religious taxes. The two countries have also different attitudes toward nuclear power generation. France produces 75 percent of its electricity from nuclear power but Germany wants to avoid nuclear power generation though it must import electricity from its neighbor.

In the wake of Japan’s nuclear plant meltdown, Germany chose to shut down its nuclear power facilities. Germany’s former left-leaning coalition government led by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder decided to close down all of Germany`s nuclear power plants by 2021. His successor Angela Merkel announced last year a plan to extend the operation of such facilities by 12 years, but Japan`s nuclear accident prompted her to scrap the plan. In contrast, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to conquer the world market for nuclear energy with ERP nuclear power plants, whose safety has markedly been enhanced. France has thus turned crisis into opportunity. After France lost to Korea a contract to build nuclear plants in the United Arab Emirates, it has actively promoted the advantages of ERP power plants by saying they are more expensive because they are safe.

Shortly after the 1979 nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in the U.S., countries adjusted their nuclear power policies. While the U.S., the world’s largest atomic power producer, faltered after the accident, France, Japan and Korea entered the nuclear power market and expanded their global market share. In the aftermath of its nuclear accident, however, Japan is showing signs of slackening its drive toward nuclear power generation. Against this backdrop, France and Korea are likely to become powerhouses in the global nuclear energy market, experts say.

France and Korea are in different positions from Japan and Germany. Japan is geographically vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis. For its part, the German view of the environment is based on awe and respect of forests. Both members of Germany`s far right Nazi Party and those of the far left Green Party are hostile to nuclear power plants. German conservative parties have shifted their positions to close the country’s nuclear power plants because they want to maintain power. Under French rationalism, human beings can control atomic power. After all, a country’s nuclear energy policy depends on its natural environment, the level of technological development, and public acceptance of nuclear power generation.

Editorial Writer Song Pyeong-in (pisong@donga.com)