Merkel calls nuclear phase-out in Germany a mistake

WIESBADEN, Germany, Oct 21 (Reuters) German Chancellor Angela Merkel said today it is a mistake for the country to turn off its nuclear power plants over the next 14 years even though her coalition government is committed to the plan.

In a speech to a party rally in Wiesbaden, Merkel went further than before to criticise her junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, for their refusal to reconsider laws requiring German producers to shut down nuclear plants by 2020.

''I consider it to be wrong that we're turning off our nuclear plants only because that is what was agreed,'' Merkel said. ''The bad news is, however, the Social Democrats consider that to be important,'' she added.

Merkel said the conservatives could still push for a review of the phase-out.

''No one can prevent us from discussing the topic of energy anymore. We're facing challenges and need to develop strategies to ensure our energy supplies over the years ahead,'' she said.

Nuclear power currently supplies a third of German electricity.

Opinion polls regularly show the vast majority of the public opposed to any further extension of nuclear power.

The previous SPD and Greens government had passed laws gradually decommissioning nuclear power stations by 2020. Merkel's Christian Democrats narrowly beat the SPD in a 2005 election but were forced into a grand coalition with the SPD.

The SPD said the nuclear phase-out was not negotiable. Merkel had agreed to that last year even though other conservatives, especially Economy Minister Michael Glos, had called for the phase-out to be scrapped due to rising oil prices.

REUTERS AB BS2141