The New Popular Front’s Energy Program

The Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) is proposing an energy shake-up for France’s 2024 general elections, with moves marked by division on nuclear energy but consensus on several key issues. The coalition, recently formed for these elections, stood out for its particularly controversial energy program. Their proposals aim to radically transform the country’s energy landscape, with particular emphasis on renewable energy sources and energy transformation. The coalition brings together various left-wing parties united by a common vision of environmental sustainability, but internal differences and the economic implications of their ideas are sparking debate.

Department on the nuclear issue

The left-wing coalition’s energy program avoids taking a clear position on nuclear power, reflecting differences within the left. The Socialist Party sees nuclear as a “transitional energy” towards renewables, although this position is not unanimous among its members. France Insoumise and Les Écologistes advocate a complete phase-out of nuclear power and a switch to 100% renewables by 2045, while opposing the construction of new EPR reactors, although parliament passed a law to revive the sector in May 2023. The French Communist Party, on the other hand, strongly supports nuclear power, seeing it as a key element of a strong public energy service. Therefore, the only clear intention on which there is consensus within the alliance of left-wing parties is the desire to reverse the merger between the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) and the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), deemed dangerous for the safety of French nuclear power plants.

Consensus on Renewable Energy Sources and Eco-Planning

Despite these divisions, there is consensus on a number of important actions. All agreed that banks should be forced to achieve “zero financing of fossil fuels”, with particular attention to TotalEnergy’s oil projects. So on this point, they support the directives introduced by the Macron government. There is also unanimous support for the development of renewable energy. The program aims to make France a European leader in marine energy, such as offshore wind and hydropower, and to strengthen renewable energy production in France and Europe.

In addition, the left-wing alliance strongly opposes the privatization of French dams, which is currently being implemented under pressure from the European Union. The latter, in order to increase competition in the energy market, is pressing France to privatize this essential infrastructure. Privatization has already begun, with companies such as Engie, EDF and TotalEnergys having significant stakes in the hydroelectric sector. Although the current government is keen to maintain some control, it plans to privatize a large part of the dams. The National Contact Point criticizes this approach, arguing that privatizing the dams would endanger the public management of water and energy, and proposes to keep this infrastructure under public control to guarantee energy sovereignty and the protection of natural resources.
In terms of energy prices, the program assumes “abolition” of the 10% increase in electricity prices planned for February and “cancellation” of the 11.7% increase in gas prices planned for July. These activities are very popular because the French are particularly concerned about rising energy costs.

Prospects and limitations of the New Popular Front’s energy program

The NPR program has noticeable shortcomings in terms of sustainability. Too rapid a shift to renewable energy would inevitably disrupt our energy supply. Moreover, although the Socialist Party and the Communist Party support the use of nuclear energy, some parties such as La France Insoumise (majority in the coalition) and Les Écologistes support a rapid phase-out of nuclear energy. This is contrary to the French policy of revitalizing civilian nuclear energy, which has been in force for several years. Nuclear power has always been the backbone of France’s energy mix, producing around 40% of our electricity. Going without this energy source would be extremely harmful to our economy and domestic consumption.

Moreover, nuclear energy is practically pollution-free and the technological progress in this field is promising. Nuclear fission, in particular, could revolutionize the energy sector and be a major asset in our energy policy. On the other hand, renewable energies are not completely reliable, because they depend on weather conditions. To cover France’s annual electricity consumption of around 474 TWh using wind turbines alone, we would need to install around 237,000 wind turbines with an average capacity of 2 MW, each producing around 2 GWh per year. This estimate takes into account the fact that wind turbines do not operate at full speed all the time, producing at full power for around 2,000 hours per year, which is why the left-wing coalition’s program seems unprofitable and of little benefit to the French economy.

The NFP’s energy agenda for the 2024 general election is marked by a stark division on nuclear power, with positions ranging from support to a complete phase-out. However, there is consensus on key issues such as support for renewable energy, combating fossil fuel financing and protecting consumers from rising energy prices. These measures reflect a desire to move towards cleaner, more affordable energy, while also recognising the varying sensitivities within the coalition.