Belgium does U-turn on nuclear power exit amid current crisis

"Sometimes you have to be more pragmatic and less ideological," said Mr Collignon, who remembers the first plant opening in 1975, adding that everyone in Huy knows someone who works there.

HUY (Belgium). After a 20-year political battle, Belgium was set to shut its nuclear plants in 2025, but the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices have forced a U-turn and reignited debate across Europe over the best route to a secure, low-carbon energy future.

Mr Christophe Collignon, the mayor of Huy - whose skyline and history are dominated by the Tihange nuclear plant - said most people in the mediaeval city in eastern Belgium welcomed the decision to extend the ageing reactor's life until 2035.

"Sometimes you have to be more pragmatic and less ideological," said Mr Collignon, who remembers the first plant opening in 1975, adding that everyone in Huy knows someone who works there.

"The question is can we follow the timeline for shutting down? Right now, the answer is no," he said, describing the 2025 deadline as too tight to ensure Belgium's energy security.