Would you sign this Austrian petition for a referendum ?

[Tender Branson]

We are paying 100 Mio. € annually to the European Pro-Atomic Energy Lobby, despite the fact that Austria has NO nuclear power plant and the fact that 90% of Austrians are OPPOSED to nuclear energy.

This so called Volksbegehren ("petition for a referendum") calls for Austria's exit of the EURATOM treaty, so that Austria does not finance the Atomic industry in Europe anymore and argues that the 100 Mio. € annually can be spent on more productive areas, such as social or environmental matters.

While the SPÖ and ÖVP say that an Exit of EURATOM would not be possible for Austria, experts say that Article 49A of the Lissabon Treaty would support an Exit.

Greens, FPÖ and BZÖ are all in favor of the Exit.

I'll probably sign this petition. What about you ?

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm not a fan of atomic energy, but this is exactly what UE doesn't need now.

[MaxQue]

I'm not a fan of atomic energy, but this is exactly what UE doesn't need now.

Why?

I like UE, but, it isn't to them to develop atomic energy.
And I don't see why a country against atomic energy has to finance it.

[minionofmidas]

Of course.

You probably also should stop buying cheap-as-shit atomic power during the night. Unless you already have, in which case I apologize.

[Franzl]

I'd sign it.

Atomic energy is a very very good thing, but there's absolutely no reason for Austria to pay for the rest of Europe if they don't use it.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'd sign it.

Atomic energy is a very very good thing, but there's absolutely no reason for Austria to pay for the rest of Europe if they don't use it.

Franzl is torn between his love of atomic energy and his hatred of EU. Basically the reverse of me.

[Franzl]

I'd sign it.

Atomic energy is a very very good thing, but there's absolutely no reason for Austria to pay for the rest of Europe if they don't use it.

Franzl is torn between his love of atomic energy and his hatred of EU. Basically the reverse of me.

Not really torn on the issue. If I were Austrian, I'd certainly see no reason to support the rest of Europe if my own country had nothing to gain from it.

I'd certainly sign it.

[Insula Dei]

a)Anything weakening the EU is ultimatley weakening its members (especially the less important of them).
b) Atomic energy is certainly preferrable over fossile energy and an exit strategy for the latter without the former is hard to conceive.

So, no, I wouldn't sign the petition. Things like this are why I'd never vote Green.

[Tender Branson]

Of course.

You probably also should stop buying cheap-as-shit atomic power during the night. Unless you already have, in which case I apologize.

Yes, Austria's energy companies import cheap atomic energy, but not a lot. It only accounts for 1-2% of the annual energy consumption.

But if you ask me, I´d rather see 3 or so more Hydro power plants built here in Austria than having atomic energy imported from abroad.

[minionofmidas]

It's basically a subsidy to other country's nuclear mafias. It comes you cheaper than running your own plants through the night - but it would simply go to waste if you didn't buy it.
(You probably wouldn't even have to build any new facilities, btw. Unless your energy mix is very hydro-oriented as that is suffering from the same flaw as nuclear.)

[Tender Branson]

BTW: The petition ended today and it failed by about 1300 signatures.

100.000 valid signatures were needed for parliamentary debate.

Here are the results:

Bundesland                     Stimmbe-     Eintragungen   Beteiligung   
                                        rechtigte                              in Prozent
 ____________________________________________________________

 BURGENLAND                      230.969         3.383        1,46
 KÄRNTEN                             442.249         2.012        0,45
 NIEDERÖSTERREICH        1.266.439        19.155        1,51
 OBERÖSTERREICH           1.087.534        27.130        2,49
 SALZBURG                          388.042        12.841        3,31
 STEIERMARK                       967.096         6.626        0,69
 TIROL                                 527.344         2.853        0,54
 VORARLBERG                      262.615        13.435        5,12
 WIEN                               1.145.578        11.263        0,98
 ____________________________________________________________

 GESAMT                           6.317.866        98.698        1,56

[Tender Branson]

Meh ! From the new Austrian poll about Nuclear Energy:

"Under the impression of the recent events in the Nuclear Power Station in Japan, do you regret not signing the recent Anti-EURATOM petition ?"

82% Yes
13% No

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The sudden fear of nuclear energy makes me laugh.

[Franzl]

Idiotic.