Slovenia’s parliament voted in favour of cancelling a consultative referendum on the construction of a second nuclear reactor at the Krsko power plant.
The referendum was intended to gauge public support for the Jek 2 project, the estimated cost of which ranged from 9.3 to 15.4 billion euros. The Krsko NPP currently supplies about 20 per cent of Slovenia’s electricity needs.
The motion was passed by 60 MPs in favour, one against and one abstention in the 90-seat legislature. On 22 October, parliamentary speaker Urška Klakočar Zupančič unveiled a procedural plan to formally cancel the referendum.
The ruling coalition, consisting of the Freedom Movement, Social Democrats and the Left, reached a consensus to abolish the referendum, citing a lack of adequate public information about the project. It aimed to improve Slovenia’s electricity supply by adding a new low-carbon energy source amid growing concerns over energy security and climate change.
The decision to cancel the referendum came following media reports expressing concerns about the project’s transparency. This prompted lawmakers to reassess the need for public voting.
