Swiss parliament lifts ban on new nuclear power plants
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
Swiss parliament votes 100-98 to lift the ban on building new nuclear power plants.
On June 18, 2026, the National Council approved a counterproposal to the "Blackout Initiative" by a vote of 100 to 98, rejecting a motion to refer financing issues back to the Federal Council. The Council of States had already approved the measure. The final decision will be made by Swiss voters in a referendum. The vote followed a marathon debate. The SVP and FDP supported lifting the ban; SP, GLP, and the Greens opposed it.
What commenters are saying
Commenters split sharply. One camp argues nuclear is vastly more expensive per MWh than renewables and cannot economically handle peak demand, needing storage or overproduction. Others counter that solar and wind remain weather-dependent and cannot alone power an industrial country; grid stability requires rotating mass or synthetic inertia from batteries. A subthread notes Switzerland also studied nuclear weapons until 1988. A commenter points out that the bill to lift Italy's nuclear ban has passed its lower house and awaits senate ratification.