The decision to phase out nuclear power generation, a move that drove energy prices higher, was deeply misguided, the chancellor has said<\/p>\n
The German government made a \u201cserious strategic mistake\u201d by phasing out nuclear power, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stated.
\nGermany shut down its last three nuclear reactors in April 2023, implementing a parliamentary plan decided after the 2011 Fukushima disaster.
\nSpeaking at the New Year\u2019s reception of the Halle-Dessau Chamber of Industry and Commerce on Thursday, Merz said he aimed to restore \u201cacceptable market prices in energy production,\u201d without constant government subsidies.
\n\u201cIt was a serious strategic mistake to phase out nuclear power,\u201d Merz said, criticizing his predecessors. In his words, Germany is undergoing the \u201cmost expensive energy transition in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe inherited something that we now need to correct, but we simply don\u2019t have enough energy generation capacity,\u201d Merz added.
\nIn October 2025, two cooling towers at the Gundremmingen nuclear power plant were demolished in a controlled explosion. The facility, which once supplied a quarter of Bavaria\u2019s electricity, was taken offline in late 2021.<\/p>\n
Gundremmingen, heute um 12 Uhr: Die Sprengung der K\u00fchlt\u00fcrme des Kernkraftwerks markiert einen weiteren Meilenstein der Verlogenheit und vors\u00e4tzlichen Zerst\u00f6rung unserer Energieversorgung durch CSU und CDU. pic.twitter.com\/iAzhYcApVL\u2014 Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) October 25, 2025 <\/p>\n
The opposition right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party condemned the destruction of the plant saying it demonstrated \u201cthat the energy policy of recent years has completely failed.\u201d
\n\u201cUnder the guise of the so-called energy transition, the safe, robust, and, moreover, CO2-free generation of electricity by nuclear power in Germany is now being destroyed. This must stop,\u201d it said in a statement.
\nMerz has also faced criticism for backtracking on his coalition government\u2019s promise to lower electricity taxes for households and businesses. Last summer, he indicated that the tax burden relief could only be granted to a select few sectors, namely manufacturing industries and agriculture, since his government was hard-pressed for cash. Merz\u2019s apparent change of tack drew ire from several business associations and social welfare groups, ARD reported.
\n\u201cThe federal government must be held accountable for what it has promised,\u201d Verena Bentele, who represents one such group, told the media outlet at the time. Franziska Brantner, the co-leader of the Green Party, similarly accused the chancellor of failing to honor his promises.
\nFollowing the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, Germany rejected inexpensive Russian oil and gas in favor of costlier alternatives. This resulted in energy prices soaring for both industry and households.
\nThe German economy has steadily contracted since then.
\nLate last year, Merz acknowledged that the country had lost its economic competitiveness. \u201cWe are falling behind, and this process has accelerated in recent years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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