Meloni’s Italy wants nuclear energy. Critics say it goes against the will of the nation

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni with the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi.

Photo. @rafaelmgrossi/X.com

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Following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, Italy held a referendum asking citizens if they wanted the country to continue producing nuclear energy. The majority voted against it, and the four nuclear power plants on the Apennine Peninsula have been shut down since then.

European pioneers of SMR

Minister Pichetto Fratin previously mentioned SMR (Small Modular Reactor) as a key element of the nuclear energy development plan. Poland is pioneering this technology in Europe — the continent’s first small BWRX-300 nuclear power plant will be built in Włocławek, a city of 100,000 people in central part of the country.

According to Energiaoltre.it, France, Poland, and other European countries have already increased their turnover to stay on track. The site adds that falling behind would mean exclusion from key energy, industrial, and technological developments. Italy views nuclear energy as key to achieving climate neutrality by 2050 and increasing its independence from fossil fuel imports.

The Italian government has promised financial compensation, long-term contracts, and favorable energy prices to regions where nuclear power plants will be built. However, Sardinia, Tuscany, and Umbria have already voiced their opposition and called for greater involvement.

”We need an agreement with citizens,” emphasized Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin.

Following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, the majority of Italian referendum participants voted against nuclear energy. Since then, the four nuclear power plants on the Apennine Peninsula have been shut down. According to this year’s Ipsos survey, 75% of Italians said nuclear energy is not a viable alternative to fossil fuels because it is too dangerous.

After the last operating nuclear power plant in Italy was shut down in 1990, another referendum on nuclear power was held in 2011 following the disaster in Fukushima, Japan. And the Italians, as might be expected given the timing of the vote, once again voted against it.

New nuclear alliance

„We have to make some long-term choices. That is why we have decided to resume developing nuclear power, focusing on mini reactors, which are a safe and clean source of energy,” said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the end of May, announcing the country’s return to nuclear power.

According to Pichetto Fratin, if Parliament approves the nuclear plan, the first power plants could begin operating by the end of this decade or in the early 2030s. Nuclear power could cover between 11 and 22 percent of the country’s energy needs by 2050.

”So far, this government has shown that it does not take into account the clear expression of the people’s will, as demonstrated in two referendums,” commented Enrico Cappelletti, a Five Star Movement member of the Italian parliament’s lower house. According to Cappelletti and other opponents of nuclear power, transitioning back to nuclear energy will be a long, slow, and costly process. However, the Italian government is convinced that nuclear power is necessary to meet the growing demand for energy.

Consulting firm EY Italia has estimated that Italy’s nuclear market could be worth approximately €50 billion by 2050. Although Italy has no nuclear power plants, several Italian companies are involved in nuclear projects abroad. According to Politico, however, any nuclear renaissance would ultimately require the participation of companies from countries that already have operating power plants, such as France and the US.

Italian companies Enel, Leonardo, and Ansaldo Energia have formed a consortium called Nuclitalia. In June this year, Italy joined the French-led EU Nuclear Alliance, an initiative aimed at promoting nuclear energy across the EU. Italy’s membership was confirmed by Environment Minister Pichetto Fratin.

”Now, our country will be able to actively participate in EU discussions and gain easier access to EU funds for nuclear projects, accelerating the development of small modular reactors (SMRs) for next-generation nuclear energy production,” commented Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin.

”So what does this Alliance mean for our country? Generally speaking, joining (it – E24) will strengthen the pro-nuclear front in the European Union, enabling our country to accelerate research and development of new-generation nuclear reactors, also thanks to cooperation with other member states,” commented the Italian portal Geopop.

Speaking at the Confindustria trade fair, Fratin stated that there is a need for an energy source that can be integrated with energy generated by renewable sources. Nuclear energy was the obvious choice, although the final decision will be made after a thorough analysis of the costs and benefits, the minister said.

”If we want to remain one of the world’s richest countries, there is only one path we can take: investment in nuclear power,” Fratin said.

Citizens’ perspective

According to a 2023 survey by the Italian agency Swg, between 49 and 55 percent of Italians were in favor of nuclear energy, with young people being more positive about it. „However, approving the construction of a nuclear power plant is a more sensitive issue which, like any large project, has to contend with the NIMBY syndrome. While only 30% of Italians support the construction of a power plant within 100 km of their place of residence, this percentage rises to 60% when the distance exceeds 500 km,” commented Swg. The NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) syndrome refers to investments that we are negatively disposed towards if they are to be located near our place of residence or work, even though we have a positive attitude towards the idea itself.

Overall, one-quarter of Italians oppose new nuclear technologies. According to SWG, most of the public is open to the idea but needs more specific information on the matter.

However, the results of this year’s Ipsos survey conducted for the Environmental Protection League (Legambiente) are not so optimistic. According to the survey, as reported by PAP, as many as 75% of Italians believe that nuclear energy is not currently a viable solution and does not constitute an alternative to fossil fuels because it is too dangerous. More than half of the survey participants expressed the opinion that the government should do much more to promote renewable energy production. Only a quarter of Italians support a return to nuclear energy.

According to data from GSE, a state-owned energy company involved in developing renewable energy sources, energy from renewable sources accounted for 51.83% of Italy’s energy mix in 2024. „Other sources” accounted for 4.17%, while gas accounted for 42%, coal for 1.52%, and petroleum products for 0.47%. The most important components of Italy’s renewable energy sources are hydroelectric and solar energy. As of May 2025, renewable sources covered 55.9% of the country’s electricity demand. This is largely due to photovoltaic energy, which generated 5,041 GWh alone.

Gas from Russia and the significance of the conflicts

According to the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, ISPI), among the European countries historically most dependent on Russian gas, Italy was the quickest to diversify its sources of supply after Russia started the war with Ukraine. This was facilitated in particular by its favorable geographical location, the active role of the Italian state-owned gas and petrochemical company Eni, and its central location on the map of an extensive infrastructure and pipeline network, which made it possible to increase gas imports from countries such as Algeria, Azerbaijan, and Qatar.

However, it should be noted that for years Italians have been eager to use Russian gas, and attitudes toward that country are, to put it mildly, varied, and certainly more diverse than in Poland, for example. There is great admiration for Russian culture, and understanding Eastern European cultural complexities comes with difficulty on the Apennine Peninsula.

This is also evident in the research. For example, Italian society is divided on the question of which conflict is more important for Italy: the one in Ukraine or the one in the Gaza Strip. Among people under 35, the war in Gaza is much more significant than the war in Ukraine. According to a 2024 ISPI survey, the difference is even greater among young people aged 18 to 24, with 58 percent pointing to Gaza and only 16 percent to Ukraine.

Regardless of how detrimental both conflicts are to the entire world, it would seem that Italy should take into account its greater economic interdependence with the rest of Europe, even through the mere fact of sharing a continent. However, as we can see, this is not necessarily the case. The issue of gas and oil from Russia, as well as the need to stop purchasing raw materials from that country due to the war, could influence public opinion. The question remains: Will Italy break the generational deadlock in developing nuclear power, and will public sentiment lead to suspending nuclear ambitions again? Nevertheless, Meloni’s government has already chosen its path.