Swiss National Council sends nuclear power plant proposal back to government, demands clarity on financing

An unexpected return to sender

In a narrow vote on Monday, Switzerland's lower house of parliament opted not to decide on the future of nuclear energy and instead sent the Federal Council's counter-proposal back for revision. The motion, brought by Centre party National Councillor Priska Wismer, requires the government to first present a clearer picture of how new nuclear power plants could be financed. The vote ended a marathon debate that spanned several days and involved over 90 speakers.

What was on the table

Since 2017, Swiss law has banned the construction of new nuclear power plants, following a popular vote after the Fukushima disaster. Existing reactors may continue operating as long as they remain safe. The “Stop Blackout” popular initiative, launched by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), seeks to change that by declaring all climate-friendly forms of electricity generation permissible, including nuclear. The Federal Council, while formally rejecting the initiative itself, crafted an indirect counter-proposal that would delete the legal prohibition on framework permits for new nuclear plants. The upper house, the Council of States, had already backed this counter-proposal in its spring session.

The political fault lines

The National Council’s referral motion succeeded with support from the Social Democrats, Greens, Green Liberals, and a majority of the Centre faction. The SVP and the Liberals (FDP) opposed the referral. During the debate, Energy Minister Albert Rösti argued that 30 percent of Switzerland's electricity mix currently comes from nuclear power, adding, “I don't know where else we would get it.” He accused opponents of ignoring nuclear energy's central role in daily life and the economy.

“Without new nuclear plants you can bury the net-zero target today.”

SVP National Councillor Christian Imark warned that blocking nuclear for ideological reasons was “thoroughly dangerous” for the country. FDP National Councillor Christian Wasserfallen called for investment in both nuclear and renewables, stressing it was not a question of “either/or” but “both/and”. FDP co-president Susanne Vincenz-Stauffacher similarly defended technology openness and supply security. Opponents pointed to unresolved questions about financing and final disposal of nuclear waste. Green National Councillor Marionna Schlatter sharply criticised the decades-long search for a final repository, highlighting the planned site at Nördlich Lägern.

What happens next

The Council of States must now decide on Tuesday whether to accept the referral. If it agrees, Energy Minister Rösti will have to rework the proposal. If the lower house had not entered into the debate at all, the counter-proposal would have failed outright; a motion not to consider it was rejected 111 to 88. The National Council's decision preserves the possibility of a future vote on new reactors but makes any progress conditional on a clearer financial framework.