European governments are rapidly reversing decades of nuclear skepticism as gas prices spiral and energy security concerns mount following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. From Germany's quiet removal of anti-nuclear bias in EU legislation to Italy preparing to overturn its longstanding atomic ban, the continent is scrambling to reduce its dependence on volatile energy imports that have left it vulnerable to geopolitical shocks.
Gas prices are climbing across Europe as families and industries watch fuel costs spiral, driven by multiple factors including ongoing effects from Russia's Ukraine invasion and current Middle East tensions. Iran's strangling of energy exports via the Strait of Hormuz has added to price pressures on global markets. While the UK government has urged calm, the European Commission has called on people to work from home and reduce travel as policymakers warn the situation could deteriorate further depending on Middle East developments.
The energy crunch has accelerated conversations about nuclear power that were unthinkable just years ago. Europeans faced a cost-of-living crisis "on the back of spiralling energy costs and inflation following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine," which has renewed focus on energy independence. At the recent European Nuclear Energy Summit in Paris, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described Europe's broad retreat from nuclear as a "strategic mistake" — a striking comment from someone who served in the German government when it decided to phase out nuclear plants in 2011.
"Europe imports more than 50% of its energy. Mainly oil and gas. This leaves the continent vulnerable to unexpected reductions in supply," von der Leyen said, pointing to how the decline from producing a third of electricity from nuclear in 1990 to just 15% today has left Europe "completely dependent on expensive and volatile imports" of fossil fuels.
The contrast in electricity prices tells the story starkly. Based on future contracts, German electricity prices for next month are five times those of France, which generates about 65% of its electricity from nuclear power. In Spain, which has invested heavily in wind and solar, average electricity prices for the rest of 2026 are forecast at around half of Italy's, where gas sets the electricity price 90% of the time.
A renewed enthusiasm for nuclear is now palpable across the continent:
- Italy is preparing draft laws to repeal its longstanding nuclear ban
- Belgium appears to be making a complete U-turn after years of reluctance about nuclear investment
- Greece, historically cautious because of seismic concerns, has opened a public debate on advanced reactor designs
- Sweden reversed a four-decade old decision to abandon nuclear technology
In the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves recently announced streamlining regulation to advance nuclear projects. "To build national resilience, drive energy security and deliver economic growth, we need nuclear," Reeves said. New polling from YouGov suggests growing support for nuclear energy in Scotland, with the majority now backing it as part of the country's energy supply.
France has emerged as Europe's nuclear cheerleader, with President Emmanuel Macron eager to promote the industry's low-carbon credentials as potentially helping the EU toward net zero goals. "Nuclear power is key to reconciling both independence, and thus energy sovereignty, with decarbonisation, and thus carbon neutrality," Macron told the nuclear summit.
He also emphasized nuclear's role in the artificial intelligence boom, arguing it could give Europe "the ability to open data centres, to build computing capacity and to be at the heart of the artificial intelligence challenge" due to AI's massive energy demands.
The political shift has been dramatic. Until last year, Germany blocked efforts to treat nuclear energy on a par with renewables in EU legislation, causing friction with France. But Berlin has since agreed to remove anti-nuclear bias — a change that may relate to defense concerns amid deteriorating relations with the Trump administration. Germany has asked France to extend its independent nuclear deterrent to European partners, something France agreed to this month.
- Building reactors can face extremely long delays, as seen at France's Flamanville-3 and the UK's Hinkley Point C
- Many existing European nuclear reactors are aging and need significant investment just to maintain operations
- Several Central European countries still depend on Russian nuclear technology and uranium
- Waste management and public safety concerns persist despite the policy enthusiasm
"You're ignoring the history of nuclear in Europe if you think it can just slot in [as an easy energy crisis solution]," said Chris Aylett, a Research Fellow at the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House. Nuclear energy can be part of the solution, he believes, but governments need to invest considerably just to maintain or extend existing reactors' working life.
Environmental groups warn that nuclear investment can divert funds and political attention from accelerating renewable development. The added strategic risk is that countries like Hungary and Slovakia still depend on Russian nuclear technology and uranium, creating new dependencies even as Europe seeks energy independence.
The main challenge, according to Aylett, is "maintaining existing share [of nuclear power]" rather than dramatic expansion. But as gas prices continue climbing and geopolitical tensions show no signs of easing, Europe's nuclear renaissance appears to be gathering momentum despite the technical and financial hurdles ahead.
