Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has signaled a historic shift in Greece’s energy policy, announcing the formation of a high-level ministerial committee to explore the use of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to safeguard the country’s power supply.
In his weekly address, Mr. Mitsotakis argued that the intensifying conflict in the Middle East has made the quest for "strategic autonomy" an urgent priority for the European Union.
While Greece currently generates more than 50% of its electricity from renewable sources, the prime minister emphasized that nuclear power could provide the stable, predictable "baseload" energy needed to complement wind and solar power.
"It is time for my country to explore whether nuclear energy, and specifically small modular reactors, can play a role in the Greek energy system," Mr. Mitsotakis said.
He added that nuclear technology could also prove vital in decarbonizing Greece's massive merchant shipping fleet.
The "nuclear pivot" follows a week of heightened regional tensions that saw oil prices climb past $116 a barrel and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Mitsotakis warned that these geopolitical shocks are already impacting the domestic economy and pledged that the government would intervene to prevent "profiteering" in fuel and essential goods.
The announcement comes on the heels of an emergency trilateral summit in Paphos, where Mr. Mitsotakis and French President Emmanuel Macron met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides.
The meeting followed a series of drone strikes on Cyprus that have placed the island on high alert. Mr. Mitsotakis reaffirmed that Greece's security is inextricably linked to that of Cyprus, noting that the deployment of Greek frigates and F-16 Vipers to the island reflects a "determined message of European solidarity."