CVVM: Czech opposition to construction of new nuclear unit at Dukovany declines

Czech opposition to the construction of a new unit at the Dukovany nuclear power plant has declined. Nine percent of people oppose it, compared with 16 percent a year ago. Conversely, four fifths of the public continue to support the project. However, the share of people with no clear position on the issue rose by five percentage points to 11 percent. At the same time, citizens' concerns about the use of nuclear energy have decreased, while their trust in the government’s decision-making on nuclear power has fallen. This follows from a June survey by the Public Opinion Research Centre (CVVM).

Although a majority of people continue to be concerned about the use of nuclear energy, their share fell year on year from 64 percent to 59 percent. Conversely, the share of those with no concerns about the use of nuclear energy rose by four points to 38 percent.

The share of people who trust the Czech government to make the right decisions on the development of nuclear power fell by five points to 53 percent. The number of those who do not trust it was almost unchanged, at just under two fifths. The share of citizens who did not know how to answer the question rose by seven points to 11 percent.

Nevertheless, 73 percent of respondents agreed with the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity in the Czech Republic, while 17 percent said they were neither in favour nor against it. Five percent expressed an explicitly negative view, and the same share was unable to answer.

Men, people with higher levels of education and residents of large cities were more likely to express support for the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity in the Czech Republic, according to the authors of the survey, which was conducted among 1,000 citizens aged over 15 in the second half of June.