Citing citizens’ fears of nuclear disaster following
the damage to Japanese nuclear plants from the earthquake and tsunami in March,
the majority government decided to freeze its nuclear energy campaign, said
Italy’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. A referendum on the return to
nuclear power had been scheduled for June 12, but recent surveys suggest that
the majority of Italians are against the construction of new nuclear reactors.
Opposition politicians and no-nuclear lobbyists claim the measure guarantees a
low turnout at the June referendum, which includes other pressing issues, such
as plans for the privatization of water services and a key piece of legislation
on ‘legitimate impediment’ that would exempt Berlusconi from criminal trials
when he is in office. Berlusconi said he was ‘sure’ that public opinion would
‘calm down in two or three years,’ adding that Italy’s contracts with French
energy firms to build new reactors in Italy ‘have not been annulled.’
