In an unstable international context marked by the return of issues of sovereignty, competitiveness and security of supply, the energy question is asserting itself more than ever as a strategic choice for Europe. Long relegated to the background, nuclear power is now returning to the centre of the debate, driven by an unavoidable reality.
This shift is now acknowledged at the highest European level. The President of the European Commission has indeed recognised that abandoning nuclear power was a strategic mistake. At the same time, major world powers are accelerating their investments, particularly in small modular reactors (SMRs), ushering in a new era for nuclear energy.
Faced with these challenges, the liberals advocate a pragmatic approach based on industrial ambition and support for innovation. In that spirit, Sophie Wilmès and Mathieu Bihet this week delivered a joint analysis of the nuclear challenges, linking European renewal with Belgian priorities.
Their exchange, held on the sidelines of the conference on sovereignty organised by the Centre Jean Gol, reveals a clear conviction: succeeding in the energy transition without weakening our economy requires Europe to give itself the means to match its ambitions by fully reinvesting in nuclear power and accelerating the development of future technologies such as SMRs.
This joint interview can be read in La Libre Belgique, at a decisive moment when European recovery and concrete choices for Belgium's energy future come together.