German elections this coming weekend are expected to tilt the government to the right. But despite nuclear industry hopes that Germany might restart shuttered reactors or build new ones, such a policy reversal only appears likely if centrist parties abandon a longstanding “firewall” against partnering with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is currently second in the polls at around 20%. Barring that eventuality, observers expect the Feb. 23 federal elections will result in a coalition government with at least one anti-nuclear party. Such a government would be unlikely to approve the resources needed to convince reluctant utilities to restart reactors they have long since shuttered and written off, although it could conceivably back off from some of Germany’s aggressive anti-nuclear postures on the EU level.
