Bruno Retailleau temporise sur la relance du nucléaire

Paris — Bruno Retailleau, the candidate of the LR party, has been deliberately vague about the revival of nuclear energy. "We will see" is his response when asked about the six new reactors currently under construction, according to a POLITICO summit interview. Retailleau's policy, unveiled in May, does not leave much room for doubt, with the government's nuclear revival program anticipating the construction of eight additional reactors.

He is more enthusiastic about fourth-generation reactors, urging for their "urgency" revival and believing one could be operational within 10 or 15 years. Retailleau criticized the shutdown of the Astrid prototype, calling it one of the "most disastrous decisions" by Emmanuel Macron. He praised the technology for its potential to turn waste into fuel.

Retailleau's pro-renewable energy stance while running Vendée's department contrasts with his current position, stating that "the truth of yesterday is not the truth of today." He claimed he would have cut subsidies for renewables if elected and intends to abandon the energy program if he wins. Despite these claims, Retailleau presents himself as an ecological candidate, stating he takes "all the ecologicalists in the world" with him.