Social Acceptance and Democratic Debate

Perhaps most remarkably, France achieved nuclear expansion in a democracy with strong environmental movements. This wasn't without opposition—protests at Plogoff in Brittany and Creys-Malville (site of the Superphénix fast breeder reactor) were substantial. But overall, French public opinion supported nuclear power more than in most countries.

Several factors explain this acceptance. The oil crises made energy independence a national security issue transcending party politics. The Communist Party, influential among workers, supported nuclear power as providing good industrial jobs. EDF's reputation for competence and its integration into French life—"EDF, c'est la France"—provided institutional trust.

Crucially, the French state engaged in extensive public communication. The Visiatome museum at Marcoule welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors. School curricula included nuclear science. Local information committees gave communities near nuclear plants access to operational data. This transparency, while not eliminating opposition, prevented the polarization seen elsewhere.

Economic benefits were tangible and widely distributed. Nuclear plants provided well-paying jobs in often economically depressed regions. Low electricity prices—among Europe's cheapest—benefited all consumers. The phrase "tout électrique, tout nucléaire" (all electric, all nuclear) became policy, with electric heating installed in millions of homes.