Nuclear review no political deal, says Germany's Merkel

Mar 17, 2011, 9:14 GMT

Berlin - The German government's moves this week to rethink its nuclear policy are not politically motivated, but the only possible response to current events, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday.

'This is not a deal. This is not an agreement. This is a usage of the atomic laws under a new environment,' she said during a speech before the German parliament, or Bundestag. 'We shouldn't be accused of legalistic tricks when none can be substantiated.'

The government's decision to delay by three months its previous decision to extend the lifetime of Germany's nuclear power plants - in reaction to the ongoing nuclear crisis in Japan - has been slammed by the opposition.

Some say the government should go further. Others say that Merkel's move is opportunistic at best, since it pushes the volatile nuclear issue back until after a series of key state elections that could affect Merkel's control of the national government.

But Merkel said the proposal, which includes a thorough review of all nuclear power plants, is the only rational reaction in light of current events.

'If a highly developed country like Japan can see the impossible become possible, then that changes the situation,' she said.

But opposition leaders said that Merkel was not being completely honest about her past support keeping nuclear plants open.

'No more lies,' said Sigmar Gabriel, head of the opposition Social Democrats. A former environment minister in a coalition government with Merkel, he said she had reacted coolly to his attempts to shutter nuclear power plants at an accelerated rate.

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