Majority of Germans Support Return to Nuclear Energy Amid Ongoing Political Debate
A recent poll reveals significant public backing for nuclear power, highlighting divisions among political parties in Germany.
A poll conducted by the marketing firm Innofact, released on Friday, indicates that 55% of German respondents support a return to nuclear energy.
This issue has become increasingly contentious within German politics and poses challenges for the current coalition negotiations involving Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD).
The survey revealed that 36% of those questioned opposed a return to nuclear energy, while 9% remained undecided.
Gender dynamics were notable in the poll, with over 60% of male respondents in favor of nuclear energy compared to less than half of female respondents.
Geographically, support for nuclear energy was stronger in southern and eastern Germany, as opposed to the north and west.
Among those in favor of nuclear power, 22% suggested that only the most recently closed reactors should be restarted, while 32% advocated for the construction of new reactors.
The survey also indicated broad support for renewable energy investments, with 57% of participants favoring ongoing investments in alternatives to nuclear power, and only 17% opposing this direction.
The Innofact survey sampled 1,007 Germans aged 18 to 79 in March 2025, and the findings were made public through Verivox, a consumer information platform focusing on energy and other service tariffs.
In the context of the current political landscape, the CDU/CSU is exploring the potential for reactivating the most recently decommissioned nuclear reactors, assessing their technical and financial viability.
Conversely, the SPD has stated it does not support bringing nuclear power plants back online.
The Greens have also expressed opposition to any reversal in nuclear policy, with party co-chair Franziska Brantner asserting the importance of maintaining a steady path in energy policy without frequent changes.
The historical backdrop of this debate includes a decision by Gerhard Schröder's SPD-Green coalition in 1998 to phase out nuclear energy, which was later extended by Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU/FDP government in 2009. In a significant policy shift following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, Merkel accelerated the phase-out of nuclear power.
The final operational nuclear power plants in Germany were taken offline in early 2023 after a temporary extension under Olaf Scholz's SPD/Green/FDP coalition government.
This issue has become increasingly contentious within German politics and poses challenges for the current coalition negotiations involving Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats (SPD).
The survey revealed that 36% of those questioned opposed a return to nuclear energy, while 9% remained undecided.
Gender dynamics were notable in the poll, with over 60% of male respondents in favor of nuclear energy compared to less than half of female respondents.
Geographically, support for nuclear energy was stronger in southern and eastern Germany, as opposed to the north and west.
Among those in favor of nuclear power, 22% suggested that only the most recently closed reactors should be restarted, while 32% advocated for the construction of new reactors.
The survey also indicated broad support for renewable energy investments, with 57% of participants favoring ongoing investments in alternatives to nuclear power, and only 17% opposing this direction.
The Innofact survey sampled 1,007 Germans aged 18 to 79 in March 2025, and the findings were made public through Verivox, a consumer information platform focusing on energy and other service tariffs.
In the context of the current political landscape, the CDU/CSU is exploring the potential for reactivating the most recently decommissioned nuclear reactors, assessing their technical and financial viability.
Conversely, the SPD has stated it does not support bringing nuclear power plants back online.
The Greens have also expressed opposition to any reversal in nuclear policy, with party co-chair Franziska Brantner asserting the importance of maintaining a steady path in energy policy without frequent changes.
The historical backdrop of this debate includes a decision by Gerhard Schröder's SPD-Green coalition in 1998 to phase out nuclear energy, which was later extended by Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU/FDP government in 2009. In a significant policy shift following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan, Merkel accelerated the phase-out of nuclear power.
The final operational nuclear power plants in Germany were taken offline in early 2023 after a temporary extension under Olaf Scholz's SPD/Green/FDP coalition government.
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