A woman holds an anti-nuclear flag following partial results of four referendums in downtown Rome, Italy.
Italians have voted against nuclear energy for decades in a referendum that was influenced by Japan’s Fukushima disaster, and was also a strong political vote against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
In earthquake-prone Italy almost 95 per cent of votes cast were against a nuclear power revival. The Interior Ministry informed that turnout ran at about 57 % well above the 50 % turnoutneeded to validate four referendums, including the one on nuclear power.
The referendum rescinds a law passed last year reinstalling Italy’s nuclear programme, which had previously been halted in 1987 by another referendum following the Chernobyl disaster.
The italian government had recently suspended its nuclear programme, shadowed by the disaster in Fukushima, in an attempt to undermine the referendum process. But the vote was regarded as ending any prospect of atomic energy in the country in the foreseeable future.
Italy and Germany say no to nuclear energy
It extended the global impact of the Fukushima disaster after Japan was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March. Germany shut down its seven oldest plants after the disaster and decided last month to close all its reactors by 2022, in a major policy reversal by Chancellor Angela Merkel. A referandum wasn’t needed for the decision, as protest were sufficient enough.
Polls showed most Italians, like Germans, are against nuclear energy, an emotion increased by Fukushima disaster in a country which is prone to frequent earthquakes.
Silvio Berlusconi is a strong supporter of nuclear power
His centre-right government had argued atomic electricity generation was essential for energy security in Italy, which imports almost all its power and has some of the highest prices in Europe – partly because of the lack of any nuclear plants.
But Fukushima, combined with a strong effort by the centre-left opposition to get out the vote as a political slap in the face to the prime minister, made selling such plans an uphill battle.
