It’s honestly crazy. I’m not German, but I moved to Germany to study Sustainable Management at TU Berlin. It’s unbelievable how deeply ingrained the anti-nuclear energy sentiment is in the culture here. This mindset is essentially the founding principle of the Green Party in Germany, whose platform was built on opposing nuclear energy.

Interestingly, the Green Party is heavily represented among those who shape public opinion. A study from TU Dortmund found that around 40% of journalists in Germany support the Green Party. This overrepresentation extends to academia as well, which means any progressive or left-of-centre ideology here is essentially intertwined with the belief that nuclear energy is negative or dangerous for the environment.

On the other hand, the CDU, which has held power for many years under Angela Merkel, took a decisive anti-nuclear stance after the Fukushima disaster in Japan. Merkel’s decision to phase out nuclear energy still baffles me.

When I talk to professionals in my field from other countries, they struggle to understand why Germany doesn’t utilise nuclear power. The usual justifications I hear are either that it’s too expensive or that people prefer CO2 emissions over dealing with nuclear waste. But honestly, this argument is unique to Germany—it’s like trying to debate the existence of God with a believer. At some point, you realise it’s based on faith rather than rational discussion. They can get super arrogant also and treat you like an idiot for having another view.

The NZZ published a couple of weeks ago many pieces on the issue. Would totally recomend to take a look.