Coalition partners VVD (conservatives), CDA (Christian democrats) and the Freedom Party (PVV) - which supports the minority cabinet in parliament - are sticking to their plans to build a second nuclear power plant in the Zeeland town of Borssele.

Germany's decision to close all its nuclear power plants by 2022 has done nothing to change their minds.

VVD MP René Leegte says: “This is irrelevant to the Dutch debate. Germany wants to generate 25 percent renewable energy. That means they will have to import power, and don’t let anybody fool you: that will be French nuclear power.''

The PVV also wants to go ahead as planned. PVV MP Roland van Vliet says Chancellor Angela Merkel came to her decision exclusively as the result of the German Green party’s sucesses in the recent federal state elections.

MP Gerda Verburg (CDA) says she will remain ‘alert’ and ‘closely follow’ developments in Germany; but says that “this is no reason to radically change our point of view.''

(gsh/lo)

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