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| Energy Policy in France Divides Governing Coalition of Socialists and Greens | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| PARIS — After just four months in power, the governing coalition of the Socialist Party and the Greens is already marred by deep ideological divisions over energy policy, in particular how quickly and sharply France should move to reduce its heavy dependence on nuclear energy. | PARIS — After just four months in power, the governing coalition of the Socialist Party and the Greens is already marred by deep ideological divisions over energy policy, in particular how quickly and sharply France should move to reduce its heavy dependence on nuclear energy. |
| The risks are especially acute for the Greens, who are savoring their first taste of governmental power here in a decade. François Hollande, the Socialist victor in May’s presidential elections, appointed two prominent Greens to ministerial posts within his 38-member cabinet, including the party’s former leader, Cécile Duflot. | The risks are especially acute for the Greens, who are savoring their first taste of governmental power here in a decade. François Hollande, the Socialist victor in May’s presidential elections, appointed two prominent Greens to ministerial posts within his 38-member cabinet, including the party’s former leader, Cécile Duflot. |
| But a series of compromises and back-room deals on nuclear power has placed the Green Party’s leadership at odds with its activist, environmentalist base, and rising tensions are prompting some to wonder whether the alliance can survive Mr. Hollande’s five-year mandate. | But a series of compromises and back-room deals on nuclear power has placed the Green Party’s leadership at odds with its activist, environmentalist base, and rising tensions are prompting some to wonder whether the alliance can survive Mr. Hollande’s five-year mandate. |
| The president sought to defuse some of those tensions on Friday, by announcing plans to move up the planned closing of France’s oldest nuclear power plant — the site of an accidental release of chemical steam last week — by about six months, to the end of 2016. | The president sought to defuse some of those tensions on Friday, by announcing plans to move up the planned closing of France’s oldest nuclear power plant — the site of an accidental release of chemical steam last week — by about six months, to the end of 2016. |
| “We must make an example of Fessenheim’s successful decommissioning,” Mr. Hollande said, referring to the power plant, as he opened a two-day conference on energy and the environment. | “We must make an example of Fessenheim’s successful decommissioning,” Mr. Hollande said, referring to the power plant, as he opened a two-day conference on energy and the environment. |
| Still, Jean-Pierre Le Goff, a sociologist at France’s National Center for Scientific Research, said he was not sure the alliance would last. “It is very much an open question,” he said. “The nuclear debate is an old one, but it is emblematic of how, within the left, and even within the center of the Socialist Party, there are some very strong contradictions.” | Still, Jean-Pierre Le Goff, a sociologist at France’s National Center for Scientific Research, said he was not sure the alliance would last. “It is very much an open question,” he said. “The nuclear debate is an old one, but it is emblematic of how, within the left, and even within the center of the Socialist Party, there are some very strong contradictions.” |
| Desperate to secure the votes needed to defeat Nicolas Sarkozy, the center-right incumbent, the Socialists agreed last year not to field any candidates in around 60 constituencies. In exchange, the Greens accepted the Socialists’ goal of reducing France’s dependence on nuclear power for energy to 50 percent from 75 percent by 2025 — far short of the Greens’ own goal of zero. | Desperate to secure the votes needed to defeat Nicolas Sarkozy, the center-right incumbent, the Socialists agreed last year not to field any candidates in around 60 constituencies. In exchange, the Greens accepted the Socialists’ goal of reducing France’s dependence on nuclear power for energy to 50 percent from 75 percent by 2025 — far short of the Greens’ own goal of zero. |
| The Greens then made major gains in parliamentary elections in June, securing 17 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly and enough electoral weight to form their own parliamentary group. | The Greens then made major gains in parliamentary elections in June, securing 17 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly and enough electoral weight to form their own parliamentary group. |
| “The Socialists are starting to realize that they gave a very generous gift to the Greens,” said Pascal Perrineau, director of the Center for Political Research in Paris, who noted that the Green presidential candidate, Eva Joly, was eliminated in the first round of voting, with a humiliating 2.3 percent of the vote. “The Greens are a small party, but they have been very well paid.” | “The Socialists are starting to realize that they gave a very generous gift to the Greens,” said Pascal Perrineau, director of the Center for Political Research in Paris, who noted that the Green presidential candidate, Eva Joly, was eliminated in the first round of voting, with a humiliating 2.3 percent of the vote. “The Greens are a small party, but they have been very well paid.” |
| The episode at the Fessenheim reactor near the German border, while minor, has once again revived the debate over France’s nuclear future. | The episode at the Fessenheim reactor near the German border, while minor, has once again revived the debate over France’s nuclear future. |
| But with the outlook for the country’s economy darkening by the day, the government has little room for maneuvering. Available substitutes, like natural gas, would need to be imported. Renewable alternatives are slow and costly to develop, especially on the scale that France requires. | But with the outlook for the country’s economy darkening by the day, the government has little room for maneuvering. Available substitutes, like natural gas, would need to be imported. Renewable alternatives are slow and costly to develop, especially on the scale that France requires. |
| “I cannot envision that any French government will ever totally abandon nuclear,” said Élie Cohen, a leading economist and a member of an independent advisory panel to the prime minister’s office. “It is inconceivable.” | “I cannot envision that any French government will ever totally abandon nuclear,” said Élie Cohen, a leading economist and a member of an independent advisory panel to the prime minister’s office. “It is inconceivable.” |
| Tensions between the Socialists and Greens flared late last month, after Arnaud Montebourg, the minister for industrial recovery, described nuclear power in a television interview as “an industry of the future” and a “tremendous asset” for France — seeming to cast doubt on the new government’s commitment to a nuclear reduction. | Tensions between the Socialists and Greens flared late last month, after Arnaud Montebourg, the minister for industrial recovery, described nuclear power in a television interview as “an industry of the future” and a “tremendous asset” for France — seeming to cast doubt on the new government’s commitment to a nuclear reduction. |
| The statement incited outrage from a number of Green luminaries. Noël Mamère, a member of Parliament and onetime presidential candidate from the Gironde, near Bordeaux, labeled it “a provocation,” while Denis Baupin, vice president of the Greens’ parliamentary caucus, derided the remarks as “totally at odds with reality.” | The statement incited outrage from a number of Green luminaries. Noël Mamère, a member of Parliament and onetime presidential candidate from the Gironde, near Bordeaux, labeled it “a provocation,” while Denis Baupin, vice president of the Greens’ parliamentary caucus, derided the remarks as “totally at odds with reality.” |
| Conspicuously muted, however, was the reaction of Ms. Duflot, the former Green leader who is now housing minister. “This agreement will be met,” said Ms. Duflot, who only days earlier had joked that her minister’s post came with a political “muzzle.” | Conspicuously muted, however, was the reaction of Ms. Duflot, the former Green leader who is now housing minister. “This agreement will be met,” said Ms. Duflot, who only days earlier had joked that her minister’s post came with a political “muzzle.” |
| The episode has made France’s tiny antinuclear lobby, still feeling the sting of the Greens’ electoral deal with the Socialists, only more frustrated. | |
| “We are very disappointed by the absence of a serious reaction from the leadership,” Charlotte Mijeon, spokeswoman for Sortir du Nucléaire, a coalition of French antinuclear groups, said of the Greens. “I would think there should be a certain anger among their voters that the fundamentals of what they stand for are being sacrificed to advance certain people’s political careers.” | |
| With voter concerns over safety sharply heightened by the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan, a few of France’s neighbors — including Germany — have begun to shut their nuclear facilities. | With voter concerns over safety sharply heightened by the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan, a few of France’s neighbors — including Germany — have begun to shut their nuclear facilities. |
| But the nuclear industry employs about 400,000 heavily unionized workers here, and French companies like Areva and Électricité de France are global leaders in the design and operation of nuclear technology. | But the nuclear industry employs about 400,000 heavily unionized workers here, and French companies like Areva and Électricité de France are global leaders in the design and operation of nuclear technology. |
| The country also has few other viable domestic sources of energy other than hydroelectric dams, having ceased mining its dwindling coal deposits several years ago. | The country also has few other viable domestic sources of energy other than hydroelectric dams, having ceased mining its dwindling coal deposits several years ago. |
| While energy companies say they have identified significant deposits of shale gas in the south of the country, Parliament passed a law last year outlawing its extraction via hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” because of concerns over its potential to pollute drinking water. Mr. Hollande vowed Friday that his government would maintain that ban. | While energy companies say they have identified significant deposits of shale gas in the south of the country, Parliament passed a law last year outlawing its extraction via hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” because of concerns over its potential to pollute drinking water. Mr. Hollande vowed Friday that his government would maintain that ban. |
| For now, Mr. Hollande has made clear that the government plans to shut down only one plant during his first term, which ends in mid-2017: the 1,800-megawatt Fessenheim plant, which opened in 1977. | For now, Mr. Hollande has made clear that the government plans to shut down only one plant during his first term, which ends in mid-2017: the 1,800-megawatt Fessenheim plant, which opened in 1977. |
| “The big political questions right now for the French are elsewhere,” said Marc Lazar, professor of political science at the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris, also known as Sciences Po. He cited, among other themes, the sputtering economy and the adoption of the European Union’s fiscal treaty. “The ecologists are not the priority of the president.” | “The big political questions right now for the French are elsewhere,” said Marc Lazar, professor of political science at the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris, also known as Sciences Po. He cited, among other themes, the sputtering economy and the adoption of the European Union’s fiscal treaty. “The ecologists are not the priority of the president.” |
| But even some of the Socialists’ biggest nuclear advocates say they would welcome a genuine discussion. | But even some of the Socialists’ biggest nuclear advocates say they would welcome a genuine discussion. |
| “I think that nuclear deserves a debate,” Anne Lauvergeon, the former chief executive of Areva, and a trusted adviser in the 1990s to the Socialist president François Mitterrand, said at a conference in Paris last week. “But it must be a real debate, not one that gets hijacked and swallowed up by people who are more ideologues than practitioners.” | “I think that nuclear deserves a debate,” Anne Lauvergeon, the former chief executive of Areva, and a trusted adviser in the 1990s to the Socialist president François Mitterrand, said at a conference in Paris last week. “But it must be a real debate, not one that gets hijacked and swallowed up by people who are more ideologues than practitioners.” |
| Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a prominent Green and member of the European Parliament, said it was too early to say whether the nuclear debate would doom the coalition. | Daniel Cohn-Bendit, a prominent Green and member of the European Parliament, said it was too early to say whether the nuclear debate would doom the coalition. |
| “There is both tension and a willingness to work together,” he said. | “There is both tension and a willingness to work together,” he said. |
| “They say,” he added, “that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. But if you’re not in the kitchen, you can’t cook.” | “They say,” he added, “that if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. But if you’re not in the kitchen, you can’t cook.” |