Negotiations on nuclear power stations are at a standstill. The De Croo government is making a fool of itself

In a letter to Prime Minister De Croo, Engie laid its conditions on the table to keep the newest nuclear power stations open after all, reports VRT NWS. And they are not insignificant: the French energy company is demanding that the federal government must contribute to the Doel 4 and Tihange 3 stations and bear part of the cost of disposing of the nuclear waste. Conditions that are diametrically opposed to the position of the federal government and have previously already been given a “nyet” by the Greens. “In other words, the negotiations remain at a standstill,” responds MP Bert Wollants.

That means that the decision on the nuclear phase-out will be postponed for the third time. Bert Wollants thus has serious questions about the efforts made by the De Croo government to steer the talks with Engie in the right direction. “It is June, and we are still at the same point. I have the impression that the Greens have been acting so convincingly in recent months that even the Prime Minister believed they really wanted to give the nuclear power stations a chance. And now the whole government is making a fool of itself.”

Crushing responsibility

It is clear to the N-VA energy specialist just who will foot the bill for this mismanagement: the citizens and businesses that already have to deal with sky-high energy bills today. “While people all over the world strive for energy independence, the De Croo government is condemning us to very expensive natural gas because of its procrastination. The governing parties that have allowed this to happen bear a crushing responsibility.”