From exception to norm – and back again? France, the nuclear revival, and the post-Fukushima landscape

Abstract

France’s role in the nuclear revival is analysed by tracing the impact of six categories of norms: cognitive, diplomatic, geopolitical, technological, market, and safety and security. In showing how these normative dimensions shaped the unfolding of the revival process, three development stages are identified. In the first stage, during the late 1990s, in a context of heightened concern over energy security and climate protection, a ‘renaissance’ discourse was constructed by advocates who claimed that nuclear power was cheap and quick to exploit. In the second, new orders for nuclear power plants suggested that the revival was under way. In the third, the revival stalled. Whilst the 2011 Fukushima disaster certainly contributed to the stall by highlighting unmet safety norms, France’s bid to lead the revival was already in difficulties due the impact of market norms, with construction delays and cost overruns revealing the sector’s limited economic viability.

Keywords:

• nuclear power
• France
• Fukushima