The Polish nuclear programme: quickly and without public consultation
Twenty years ago, during the discussions of the environmental panel as part the Round Table negotiations, the only question left unresolved was that of the development of nuclear power in Poland. The most serious allegations brought forward by the Solidarity side concerned the unreliability of Soviet technology, the absence of public debate and the government's disregard of public concerns about the development of nuclear technologies in our country.
Once the government of Tadeusz Mazowiecki came to power, the decision was taken to halt the construction of the power station in Żarnowiec. In the context of the economic changes Poland was undergoing at the time which caused a significant fall in the demand for energy, and considering the problems with the technology to be used in the Polish nuclear plant, that decision was clearly correct.
Watching the decisions being taken by the current government, an analogy with the events of over a quarter of a century ago inevitably comes to mind. Yet again, decisions are being taken without consulting the public, and in the absence of appropriate economic and socio-economic assessments. Instead of debate, the Polish government is dishing out propaganda, and anyone who tries to oppose the construction of nuclear plants in Poland is portrayed as a "green freak." It is hard to resist the impression that the construction programme is a decision taken privately by the prime minister and his closest allies.
Initially it seemed that the new administration assembled by prime minister Donald Tusk is not interested in the development of nuclear power. No such proposal was present in the winning government coalition's programme, and the then environmental minister, Maciej Nowicki, was very sceptical as to the idea of developing this type of power, indicating that Poland should first take advantage of its high energy efficiency potential .
Full text in English.