The day after the adoption of the reform of the pension system in Francethe National Assembly is expected to pass the renewal bill on first reading. Atomic industrywhich has been the victim of a controversial nuclear security reform.

Voting is scheduled for the second half of the day, after the meeting of questions to the government. And there is no doubt about the passage of the bill, which is expected to be supported by MPs from the traditional right-wing Republican party, the far-right National Anxiety and some communists.

The meeting comes one day after the parliamentary battle ended with the automatic adoption of pension reform by rejecting two votes of no confidence in the government by a majority of just nine MPs.

From a technical standpoint, the atomic energy bill tightens the prescribed procedures and deadlines to accelerate President Emmanuel Macron’s promise to build six new EPR reactors by 2035 and start research on eight more reactors.

The bill already received broad support in the Senate at the end of January. After today’s vote in the National Assembly in the first reading, the parliamentary course of the bill will continue.

Unlike fossil fuel energy, “accelerating the use of renewable energy is environmental. The renewal of our nuclear industry is environmental,” said Energy Transition Minister Anis Pannier-Runasser, opening the debate last week.

Pillar of “dominion”

In the midst of an energy crisis, a majority of the French National Assembly supports nuclear power in the context of decarbonization and as the basis of “sovereignty”.

After a debate in the Senate, the National Assembly abandoned the goal of reducing the share of nuclear energy in France’s electricity generation to 50% by 2035, a limit imposed under President Francois Hollande.

Agnes Pannier-Runasser wants “no ceiling, no floor” in this matter, while nuclear power typically accounts for about 70% of France’s electricity generation, but only 63% in 2022 due to serial reactor shutdowns due to wear.

In response to protests from the left, fearing that this deters anti-nuclear activity, the deputies approved tougher penalties for breaking into nuclear power plants.

On the contrary, the government was defeated on the issue of a plan to reform nuclear security, which became the subject of sharp criticism even within the ruling majority.

The French government sought to take over the Institute for Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (Institut de radioprotection et de sûreté nucléaire, IRSN, technical expertise) by the Nuclear Safety Authority (Autorité de sûreté nucléaire, ASN), the regulator of nuclear power plants. However, MPs voted to maintain the current status quo.

However, the government is not expected to give up and will likely bring the issue back up for discussion as the bill passes through parliament.

^{Source: APE-MEB, AFP.}