Germany is seeking a “grand bargain” with France to resolve their current stand-off over nuclear power and help unblock a sweeping reform of the EU’s electricity market.
“We are working towards a larger compromise on energy issues,” said Sven Giegold, state secretary at the German economy and climate ministry, of the talks between Germany, France and its EU partners. “We need a grand bargain,” he told the Financial Times, adding that it could cover several aspects of energy policy, not just the nuclear issue.
Giegold, a politician from the Green party that has historically opposed nuclear energy, said that all parties agreed on the “need to decarbonise, bring down energy prices and invest more in our common energy infrastructure and in new generating facilities”.