this is a precedent in Europe, where some countries have abandoned the development of peaceful nuclear energy • Polit.ru • RIMA

this is a precedent in Europe, where some countries have abandoned the development of peaceful nuclear energy

61% of referendum participants in Bulgaria voted for the further development of nuclear energy in the country. The referendum took place on January 27. According to the Bulgarian Central Election Commission, 832,742 referendum participants (60.66%) voted “for”, 37.9% voted “against”, answering the question whether nuclear energy in Bulgaria should be developed through the construction of a new nuclear power plant. According to exit polls, turnout was about 22%, which obliges the country's parliament to discuss this issue within three months.

Dmitry Kumanovsky , head of the analytical department of JSC Investment Company LMS:

The results of the referendum in Bulgaria are a precedent in Europe, where some countries have abandoned the development of peaceful nuclear energy. The absolute majority of Bulgarians who voted, more than 61%, supported the development of the country's nuclear energy, which will now lead to the need to consider this issue in the country's parliament. At the same time, even a change in the wording of the referendum question by the ruling party (instead of the Belene NPP they asked about a certain “new nuclear power plant”) cannot change the attitude of citizens who spoke in favor of the Belene NPP project, about which citizens’ signatures were initially collected.

The low turnout for the referendum - 22% - means that political intrigues were able to reduce the activity of some citizens who, despite traditional support for the development of peaceful nuclear energy due to low prices for electricity, decided not to go to the referendum in order not to participate in the political struggle and escalation unhealthy atmosphere around the Belene nuclear power plant. In addition, the general vague wording of the referendum allows for broad interpretation of the results, which significantly reduces the value of the referendum, leaving the Bulgarian political forces in power to make their own decisions.