Shifts in the CDU/CSU's Nuclear Energy Policy: A Path to the 'Fukushima Reversal'

The Fukushima disaster sparked another series in the continuous German debate over the future of nuclear power and led to a major shift in the country's energy industry. The 2011 decision to abandon nuclear power nevertheless followed only a few months after the announced power plants' operation-extension. The aim of this paper is to examine, whether the CDU/CSU's post-Fukushima gradation reflects any constant developments in the party's policies. The author is looking at how nuclear policy of the Christian parties has been developing since the early stages of technological research in the 1950's until the Fukushima accident in March 2011. The paper outlines the shifts in the party's policy in the general context of German energy industry. This thesis provides an overview of CDU/CSU's approach towards the use of nuclear power and contributes to the understanding of the long- term tendencies behind the "Fukushima reversal."