Far-right energy plan threatens France’s decarbonisation, exposing corporate-state conflicts in EU climate policy

France’s energy policy ignores the colonial extraction of uranium from West Africa, which poisoned ecosystems and displaced Indigenous communities. The far-right’s plan to revive nuclear energy overlooks the ongoing struggles of Kanak people in New Caledonia against uranium mining on their land, a parallel to Indigenous resistance in Canada and Australia against uranium projects. Traditional ecological knowledge, such as agroecology practiced by French peasant movements, offers decentralized alternatives to both nuclear and fossil fuels.

France’s energy policy has long been shaped by centralized control, from the post-WWII nationalizations to the 1970s ‘Messmer Plan’ that locked in nuclear dominance. The far-right’s plan echoes Vichy-era autarky policies, which prioritized energy self-sufficiency over sustainability, while ignoring the 1973 oil shock that exposed France’s vulnerability to fossil fuel dependencies. The current debate repeats historical patterns where short-term electoral gains override long-term planning, as seen in the 2000s ‘deregulation’ push that benefited Engie and EDF.

In Spain, the far-right Vox party’s opposition to wind energy mirrors Le Pen’s plan, but Catalan municipalities have bypassed national policy by forming energy cooperatives that generate 40% of local demand. India’s far-right BJP has promoted coal nationalism while suppressing solar cooperatives led by Dalit and Adivasi communities, showing how energy policy intersects with caste and tribal rights. Japan’s post-Fukushima experience demonstrates how elite capture of energy transitions can entrench nuclear dependency, despite public opposition.

Le Pen’s plan to scrap renewables contradicts IPCC scenarios requiring 60-80% renewable energy by 2030 for 1.5°C pathways. France’s nuclear fleet, already aging and vulnerable to climate impacts (e.g., river water heating), cannot alone meet decarbonisation targets without complementary storage and grid upgrades. Studies show that decentralized renewables reduce energy poverty more effectively than large-scale nuclear, which disproportionately benefits urban elites and corporate actors like Engie.

French artists like the collective ‘Les Désoeuvrés’ have linked energy policy to cultural erasure, framing nuclear as a ‘modernist’ project that destroys rural landscapes and traditions. In Japan, the ‘Hibakusha’ (atomic bomb survivors) art movements critique nuclear energy as a continuation of wartime violence, offering a spiritual counter-narrative to state-led energy projects. Indigenous Australian and Māori artists depict uranium mining as a violation of sacred land, using visual and performative art to challenge corporate narratives.

A Le Pen victory could trigger EU sanctions, destabilizing France’s energy markets and accelerating capital flight from fossil fuel assets. Scenario modelling suggests that doubling down on nuclear would lock in high costs (€100-150/MWh) and delay the 2050 net-zero target by a decade, while renewables with storage could achieve €40-60/MWh by 2035. The plan’s emphasis on ‘energy sovereignty’ risks replicating Brexit-style isolationism, undermining France’s role in EU-wide renewable infrastructure projects.

Low-income households, who spend 10-15% of income on energy, would bear the brunt of Le Pen’s plan, as renewables and efficiency programs are scrapped. Women, who manage household energy budgets, are disproportionately affected by price hikes, yet their perspectives are excluded from policy debates. Migrant workers in France’s energy sector, many from former colonies, face precarious conditions in both nuclear and fossil fuel industries, yet their organizing (e.g., ‘Sans-Papiers’ unions) is ignored in mainstream coverage.