(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Most people in Italy agree with a proposal to build a nuclear reactor in the near future, according to a poll by Ekma Ricerche Srl. 54.4 per cent of respondents support economic development minister Claudio Scajola’s initiative, while 35.8 per cent oppose it.

Italian voters renewed the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate in April. Final results gave the Silvio Berlusconi coalition of right-leaning parties—encompassing the Italian People of Freedom Party (PdL), the Northern League (LN), and the Movement for Autonomy (MPA)—344 seats in the lower house, and 174 seats in the upper house. The victory put an end to the government of the centre-left Union (Unione), headed by Romano Prodi.

Berlusconi—Italy’s richest man—was sworn in as Italy’s new head of government on May 8. He had previously served as prime minister from May 1994 to January 1995, and from June 2001 to May 2006.

On May 22, Scajola discussed his energy priorities, saying, "Only nuclear plants allow the production of clean energy, safely, at low cost, on a large scale, without damaging the environment. (...) By the end of this legislature, we will take the first step in the construction of a new generation of nuclear plants."

Italy stopped producing nuclear energy in the 1980s, due mainly to safety concerns.

Polling Data

Economic development minister Claudio Scajola has said that, within the next five years, Italy will start to build a nuclear reactor. Do you agree with this idea?

Source: Ekma Ricerche Srl
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 Italian adults, conducted on May 22, 2007. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.

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