Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake • Hacker News Board

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#21

Post by adamors » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:10 PM UTC

grunder_advice wrote: post #12

CjHuber wrote: post #7

Was that not clear from the beginning? Nobody ever claimed it was for strategic purposes, the narrative was "we don't like nuclear anything, we will get rid of it we can bear the costs". So I don't think you could even call it a strategic mistake, but masochism maybe? Especially while keeping the exit date in the height of the fallout of a real strategic mistake, the dependence on cheap russian gas.

It was a populist move because a big chunk of the electorate is German moms and German grandmas who are absolutely terrified of radiation post Chernobyl.

Also post Fukushima.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#22

Post by jgalt212 » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:10 PM UTC

4gotunameagain wrote: post #3

codingbot3000 wrote: post #2

It was a mistake, because it makes it harder to build up a nuclear weapons stockpile. Which Germany desperately needs.

[flagged]

Ukraine sorely misses their nukes.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#23

Post by waschl » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:10 PM UTC

adamors wrote: post #14

MrGilbert wrote: post #11

I think what is important to keep in mind: Merz is on the conservative, pro-economy side of the conservative party, whereas Merkel is not. She has a background in science. She never liked Merz.

But Merkel AFAIR never claimed this decision was based on any science but on popular demand and public feeling after Fukushima.

That is correct. Before the nuclear exit due to Fukushima panic her government actually reverted the exit of the former government.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#24

Post by V__ » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:10 PM UTC

Merz will say anything if it somehow benefits him and doesn't concern himself with facts.

> German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, admitted recently that Germany’s departure from nuclear energy was a serious strategic mistake, saying the policy has made the country’s energy transition “the most expensive in the entire world.”

Even if that were the case, nuclear had no impact on the cost of the transition.

> eliminating nuclear power — once a significant part of the electricity mix — has complicated energy planning and driven up costs.

Not investing in the gird for decades and stalling renewables for cheap Russian gas arguably was more of an impact.

> Merz argued that Germany’s rush to pivot away from nuclear energy, combined with extensive investment in renewable sources under the Energiewende policy, has made the transition unusually expensive.

Reliance on Russian gas has made everything expensive, but since his party is responsible for that, it's easier to scapegoat the departure of nuclear energy.

The only mistake was to depart from nuclear before reducing gas, since that would have reduced emissions quicker.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#25

Post by Mythli » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:11 PM UTC

I'm from Germany and wanted to be a nuclear engineer. My mom to this days has a sticker on her car "Nuclear, no thank you". And she is an educated woman, a professional chemist.

It was what bought political victory at the time for the CDU, thats why it was done.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#26

Post by codingbot3000 » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:11 PM UTC

MrGilbert wrote: post #11

I think what is important to keep in mind: Merz is on the conservative, pro-economy side of the conservative party, whereas Merkel is not. She has a background in science. She never liked Merz.

Merkel dumped nuclear after Fukushima simply to improve her electoral calculus. As in everything she did, there were no long-term concerns. Yet to her defence it has to be stated that nuclear energy in Germany was just not economically feasible anymore at that time (when gas was still cheap, wind and sun cheaper, and burning coal was not yet frowned upon). Also, Germany had shut down their own uranium mining long ago.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#27

Post by ciupicri » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:12 PM UTC

codingbot3000 wrote: post #10

jaapz wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With your history surely the far right wouldn't get that amount of power ever again... right...? Oh... wait....

The far right in Germany now calls themselves pacifists :-D Nevertheless, I would feel much safer living in a EU that has serious nuclear deterrence capabilities.

France has nuclear bombs.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#28

Post by codingbot3000 » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC

V__ wrote: post #24

Merz will say anything if it somehow benefits him and doesn't concern himself with facts. > German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, admitted recently that Germany’s departure from nuclear energy was a serious strategic mistake, saying the policy has made the country’s energy transition “the most expensive in the entire world.” Even if that were the case, nuclear had no impact on the cost of the transition. > eliminating nu…

spot on

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#29

Post by mosura » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC

4gotunameagain wrote: post #9

CjHuber wrote: post #7

Was that not clear from the beginning? Nobody ever claimed it was for strategic purposes, the narrative was "we don't like nuclear anything, we will get rid of it we can bear the costs". So I don't think you could even call it a strategic mistake, but masochism maybe? Especially while keeping the exit date in the height of the fallout of a real strategic mistake, the dependence on cheap russian gas.

My money is on Russian meddling, to make Germany dependent or Russian gas. Which happened. Until the US blew up the pipeline, and now Germany is dependent on US gas.

People have completely memory holed how bizarrely pro everything Russia the EU was from 2000-2015.

Re: Germany's Merz admits nuclear exit was strategic mistake

#30

Post by decimalenough » Thu, Jan 15, 2026, 1:13 PM UTC

Torwald wrote: post #17

4gotunameagain wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My money is on Russian meddling, to make Germany dependent or Russian gas. Which happened. Until the US blew up the pipeline, and now Germany is dependent on US gas.

You mean the Green party was undermined by Russians? The Green party had the goal of de-nuclearization from the beginning, at that time the Soviet Union was still in existence. When the Green party came to power and negotiated the nuclear exit, they did not need any external motivation to do so. The only way I can see this being Russian meddling would be the Green party being infiltrated from Russia from the beginnin…

Not sure why you're blaming the Greens here, they're a second-tier party in Germany and weren't even a part of the governing coalition during Fukushima and the decision to completely exit nuclear.