The Covid-19, if it was at the center of the presidential address, did not eclipse the other announcements of this Tuesday evening.
Emmanuel Macron unveiled the relaunch of the nuclear program.
“To guarantee France's energy independence, to guarantee our country's electricity supply and achieve our carbon neutrality objectives in 2050, we will, for the first time in decades, relaunch the creation of nuclear reactors in our country », Announced the Head of State.
Almost a month ago, Emmanuel Macron had already explained that he wanted "to bring out, in France, by 2030, innovative small-scale nuclear reactors with better waste management".
These investments will therefore concern both small reactors and all waste treatment industries.
One billion euros will be devoted to this technology by 2030.
"Where other countries have coal mines or import a lot of gas - which is a hydrocarbon and has a bad carbon footprint - we are lucky to have historic nuclear power", moreover welcomed the president, during his trip to Polynesia this summer.
Nuclear power, a subject at the heart of the 2022 presidential election
France has 18 nuclear power plants in operation for a total of 56 nuclear power reactors.
An aging park.
The last to have closed is that of Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin).
The oldest plant had been disconnected at the end of June 2020 and will be dismantled until 2040.
Nearly six in ten French people (59%) are in favor of nuclear energy, according to an Odoxa poll for Challenges and BFMTV carried out in March 2021. A rate certainly lower than that of 2013 (67%), but much higher than in 2018 (47%).
A subject that should occupy the campaign of the next presidential election.
Read alsoNuclear, wind and solar: six electricity production scenarios for 2050
Monday evening, during the debate of the candidates for the primary of the right, Xavier Bertrand even announced that his first measure would be to order the president of EDF to build 10 nuclear reactors.
Conversely, Jean-Marie Matagne, president of the association Action des Citoyens pour le Disarmament Nuclear (ACDN) founded in 1996, has just formalized his candidacy for the presidential election of 2022.