Shutdown of ten reactors (Jadot)

On the left, most candidates agree on the exit from nuclear power, but they differ on the timetable.

The environmental candidate Yannick Jadot wants to move quickly and shut down at least 10 reactors by 2035. To compensate for the drop in production that this measure would cause, he intends to massively develop renewable energy, in particular with the installation of 6,000 wind turbines and the replacement of existing wind turbines to strengthen them by 2027, as well as the obligation for each "living territory" to launch a "citizen community of renewable energy"

Even if the socialist candidate Anne Hidalgo shares with him the ambition to reach 100% renewable energy "as soon as possible", she considers it "nonsense" to close ten reactors by 2035. "I do not want to question national sovereignty in energy matters", she assures, while specifying that she does not "want a new reactor".

The evolution of solar and wind power in France Kenan AUGEARD AFP

Exit nuclear power by 2045 (Mélenchon)

The candidate of La France insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, plans for 2045 the total exit from nuclear power, an energy which he considers "expensive and dangerous".

He therefore advocates 100% renewable energy, in particular via geothermal energy, the massive development of offshore wind turbines and water mills.

He also wants to get out of fossil fuels, by stopping subsidizing them, including abroad.

Even though his party has campaigned with LFI during the last two presidential elections, the PCF candidate Fabien Roussel does not share Mr. Mélenchon's opinion on nuclear power.

To achieve his goal of “a carbon-free France in 2050”, the communist wants to “invest massively in renewable energies but also in nuclear power”.

"I'm the only one on the left to say it," he insists.

PCF presidential candidate Fabien Roussel at a meeting in Marseille on February 6, 2022 Christophe SIMON AFP

"Massive nuclear remobilization" (Pécresse)

On the right, nuclear is not a matter of debate.

Starting from the observation that wind energy "has reached or even exceeded the population's tolerance threshold", the LR candidate for the Elysée Palace Valérie Pécresse recommends setting up a "Gaullian recovery plan for energy" with "a massive remobilization of nuclear".

She intends to "formally" oppose the planned closures of power plants and castigates the "zig-zag" energy policy of Emmanuel Macron, who has not yet officially announced his candidacy, but who also proposes to relaunch a nuclear program. and to build new reactors in France.

He believes that nuclear power but also the development of renewable energies will be essential to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050.

Presidential 2022: the age of the French nuclear fleet AFP

Reopen Fessenheim (Le Pen)

The Fessenheim nuclear power plant in Alsace, which was shut down almost two years ago, is on the roadmap of far-right candidates.

This is the case of Marine Le Pen, who defends nuclear power as a "safe, cheap and clean energy" and who attacks certain wind farms as "warts" on the landscape.

In addition to its intention to create 6 new EPRs, it wants to establish a moratorium on the dismantling of the Fessenheim nuclear power station which it wishes to reopen.

Marine Le Pen at a meeting in Fessenheim for the European elections on May 16, 2019 FREDERICK FLORIN AFP/Archives

14 new reactors (Zemmour)

Far-right polemicist Eric Zemmour, who went to Fessenheim last week, goes further than his opponents.

He proposes the opening of "14 EPR nuclear reactors by 2050" and wants to extend the life of the power stations to "60 years".

On the renewable energy side, he intends to "stop all wind turbines. It's a disaster, it's awful, it makes French landscapes ugly", he laments.

And also... a referendum

On the left, Christiane Taubira wants to set up a referendum on nuclear power, which she is personally "not in favor of".

© 2022 AFP