French President Nicolas Sarkozy said his government would beef up spending on nuclear-safety research and development, seeking to reassure voters amid a nascent political debate over France's reliance on atomic energy.
France will invest a total of 1 billion euros, or roughly $1.5 billion, in nuclear technology as the government bolsters its energy industry in the wake of the nuclear crisis in Japan, Mr. Sarkozy said Monday. The sum includes funding for a new generation of power plants and research on nuclear safety.
"There is no alternative to nuclear power today," Mr. Sarkozy said. "Those who ask for a moratorium -- I find this curious. It would consist in keeping old plants and abstaining from researching new, safer plants."
The plans come as France's consensus on nuclear energy is beginning to waver. For the last 40 years France's major political parties remained united in their support for atomic energy, which provides nearly 80% of the country's electricity needs.
But following the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant and with 2012 French elections looming, cracks in that support are beginning to show.
"This will be the first time that the issue of nuclear power plays a significant role in a French presidential election," said Pierre-Louis Brenac, an energy consultant at SIA Conseil.
The opposition Socialist Party is campaigning for re-evaluation as well. The Socialists, who are beginning to select their presidential candidate, are weighing whether to champion a significant reduction in the amount of electricity generated by nuclear power or set a deadline to stop using it altogether, said Laurence Rossignol, the party's environment secretary. "This is a completely new position for us," she said. "Fukushima ended the myth that nuclear energy can be safely controlled."
It is unlikely that France will shun nuclear power in short order. But the debate could have a long-term impact. Mr. Sarkozy has spent several years trying to unite France's nuclear companies, including utility Electricite de France SA and engineering company Areva SA, into a coherent group that exports what the companies have said is ultrasafe nuclear technology.
But post-Japan fears could undermine France's nuclear-energy pitch at a key moment for the industry, analysts said.