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"Belgium remains a nuclear country," De Croo proudly announced before the UN, underlining that nuclear power is "integral part of the solution, in the climate crisis." Striking words, with Greens in his coalition, but by no means a coincidence, it is heard in circles around the prime minister.

  • De Croo now wants to go full steam ahead, now that it has been decided to keep Doel 4 and Tihange 3 open, and the Belgian State will participate in a new company, together with Engie Belgium: "The French at Engie wanted above all to cover their risk, to have financial security over the waste. Now that that has succeeded, they can potentially divest their Belgian nuclear plants," the analysis goes.
  • "And it is clear that the Belgians in that new structure, who are now still part of the French group, do want to go for it here: there is a lot of expertise and enthusiasm there to continue with the nuclear story with two, and preferably more reactors. The Greens in the government realize that too, but are not going to say that out loud," it sounds in the corridors. "But we are really not going to make the mistake of Germany, where they closed all the plants."
  • For the Vivaldists, it is clear: That "Special Purpose Vehicle," which Engie and the Belgian State are now in, "is going to be a new company in its own right," they predict. Immediately, they also make the comparison with their northern neighbors. "In the Netherlands people talk a lot about what they are going to do around nuclear energy, but we have much more expertise here."
  • Immediately De Croo also wants to connect with French President Emmanuel Macron, who brings together within Europe the "nuclear countries" in an informal nuclear group. That meets twice a year. "Belgium should definitely become part of that again."

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