New Czech Government: First Stumbling Blocks after a Hopeful Start Background Hopes were high for a progressive turnaround after the populist previous government of Andrej Babiš. What is the balance sheet of the first steps of the new Czech government? By Adéla Jurečková
Interview with Benedek Jávor on the PAKS II nuclear plant extension Interview In this interview, the green Hungarian politician Benedek Jávor explains the history of Paks II, the controversial Hungarian-Russian deal to expand the four nuclear power plant units in the southern Hungarian town of Paks by adding two more units. By Anna Frenyó and Benedek Jávor
Behind a Climate Smokescreen: Czech Support for Nuclear Energy Analysis At first glance, it might seem that the Czech climate movement can put the flags out. A government bill on measures for the Czech Republic’s transition to a low-carbon energy industry has been submitted to the Chamber of Deputies and is being debated rapidly in extraordinary sessions. The title of the bill may evoke the anti-fossil law which was urged by Czech environmental organizations in the “Great Challenge” (“Velká výzva”) campaign for years. Nevertheless, as we learn in one of the bill’s introductory articles, the Definition of Terms, a low-carbon electricity generating plant for the purpose of this law means one with a nuclear reactor. The rapid reduction of risks related to global climate change is obviously not the real goal of this bill. By Karel Polanecký
The nuclear legacy nobody wants Czech nuclear reactors have so far produced at least 4000 tons of highly radioactive waste. If the number of reactors grows, so will the amount of waste produced. The government has long declared itself in favor of developing nuclear energy even as it still does not know how to solve the nuclear waste problem. Martin Sedlák takes a look. By Martin Sedlák
When it comes to nature, Hungary’s conservatives won’t conserve Environmental policy and the sustainable energy transition have never been top priorities of Hungary’s right-wing populist government, and 2018 was no different in this respect. That said, the progress made in different areas of policy varies, and some sectors performed better than others. What follows is not a detailed sectoral analysis, but rather an overview of last year’s important developments and trends. By Tamás Ibolya
The Czech Nuclear Vision: An Elephant on Feet of Clay The Czech Republic’s new government has made one of its central promises to build new nuclear reactors. Most administrations have made similar pledges, but new ground has not been broken since 2004. Martin Sedlák asks: can the government succeed this time? By Martin Sedlák
Hungary: a state captured by Russia Hungary’s liaison with the Kremlin has turned the economic “Eastern Opening” into the construction of a full-blown illiberal democracy. This goes hand in hand with Russia’s growing leverage over Hungary with respect to economic as well as soft power. By Péter Krekó
The Czech Nuclear Illusion In the first week of June the Czech government adopted an action plan that is supposed to lead to the construction of four new reactors in the country—first in Dukovany and then in Temelín. The government’s decision, however, is not the product of a rational political debate; it is the result of the long-term erosion of responsible governing. Therefore, the Czech Republic can serve as a textbook case of how decisions about the future of energy should not be made. By Martin Sedlák
Nuclear optimism will cost CZK 32 billion In the spring of 2014, power company ČEZ cancelled its tender for the construction of two new blocks at the Temelín Nuclear Power Station. The decision came immediately after the government adopted a resolution in which it rejected “involvement in any type of state guarantee” for new nuclear projects. By Karel Polanecký
“Annus mirabilis” in the Hungarian-Russian energy relationship? Hungary continues to extend its energy relations with Russia causing another major tension in the already heavy-loaded Hungarian-EU relations. By András Deák
