France: Nuclear Energy "Non-Negotiable Red Line"

Bruno Le Maire, France's Minister of Economy and Finance declared that nuclear energy is a "red line".

"Nuclear energy is an absolute red line for France, and Paris will not give up any of these competitive advantages associated with nuclear energy," Le Maire said, at the end of an annual symposium of the "French Federation of Electricity,"

The French minister added that " nuclear energy is not, and will never be, subject to negotiation," stressing that "its existence must be known, and we are convinced that this is not only in the interest of France but also in the interest of the European continent."

Before that, and from the same rostrum, Stefan Wenzel, the German Minister of State for Economy and Climate, acknowledged the existence of "various approaches to energy policy in Europe, especially in the field of nuclear energy," while Berlin pledged to abandon the atom and accelerate the use of renewable energy sources.

For months, Paris and Berlin seem divided over the role of nuclear energy in the future reform of the European electricity market.