Ségolène Royal affirmed on Friday that the government intends to issue a decree ordering the closure of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant by next month, reports RFI.
“This decree will be issued, I’ve already asked for it to be drawn up,” the energy and environment minister told French radio RTL.
Her announcement came one day after the board of French state-owned utility giant EDF voted to delay the closure of Fessenheim, the oldest nuclear plant in the country, until the new-generation Flamanville nuclear plant goes online in western France.
EDF’s decision on Thursday angered environmentalists in France as well as neighbouring Switzerland and Germany, who have long called for the plant’s closure.
Royal’s move has been seen as an attempt to make good on President François Hollande’s campaign promise to close Fessenheim. But with the end of his term fast approaching in May, shutting down the plant may not occur until after the president has left office.
However, it remains unclear whether a government decree would effectively result in the plant’s closure, as EDF would have to request its closure beforehand, according to legal sources cited by AFP.
Greens MP Cécile Duflot also expressed doubt regarding the viability of Royal’s promise. “Ségolène Royal is lying,” she said. “It won’t be possible to sign a decree ordering the plant’s closure.”