The last gasp of Italian nuclear energy: the political choice to abandon atomic power

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Chernobyl disaster, pressure from the environmental movement, already particularly strong in Italy, intensified. This resulted, among other things, in the proposal of three abrogative referendums in 1987, which were interpreted as an expression of the desire to abandon the peaceful use of nuclear energy. But how did things actually unfold? Who pushed for this decision, and for what reasons? What role did security concerns play? Could the country afford to forgo this source of energy?
This paper traces the key steps along this path, seeking to answer the questions above while framing the issue within Italy’s energy needs.