Italy's Parliament Backs Return to Nuclear Power, Decades After Post-Chernobyl Ban

Italy’s parliament has voted to reopen the door to nuclear energy, marking a significant reversal of the policy the country adopted after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Italy shut down its reactors and abandoned nuclear generation following a 1987 referendum, and voters reaffirmed that stance in a 2011 referendum held in the wake of Fukushima. The new vote signals political willingness to revisit that long-standing prohibition.

The move reflects a broader European reassessment of nuclear power as governments weigh energy security, dependence on imported gas, and decarbonization targets. Proponents frame a domestic nuclear program — likely oriented toward newer reactor designs such as small modular reactors — as a path to stable, low-carbon baseload power. Any actual buildout would still require enabling legislation, regulatory frameworks, siting decisions, and substantial investment, so the vote is a starting point rather than a finished policy.

The decision is politically charged given Italy’s history and public sensitivity to nuclear safety. Critics point to cost, waste disposal, and the memory of the referendums that ended the program, while supporters argue that reactor technology and Italy’s energy needs have both changed considerably since those votes.