[en] The double french nuclear bet was an ultimate political choice of an old nation which did not wanted to renounce its glamour. but the world had changed. Is it always possible to conceive a national energy policy, knowing that the french military nuclear strategy is opposed to the rules of the next International Penal Court? (A.L.B.)

[en] The European Community has decided to liberalize the electric power industry within the community abolishing state monopolies, and allowing third party access. This policy was based on until then untested free-market theories. The advantage of state monopoly was that it could guarantee security of supply - vital with a non-storable commodity such as electricity. The advantages of TPA were said to be that it would lower prices, and that the market would ensure security of supply. The United Kingdom experimented in deregulation and end-user choice. In this experiment long-term planning has suffered, all new power stations are gas-fired because of low capital cost, and the effects on the British coal industry have been catastrophic. Thus, the effect of TPA seems to be a switch to natural gas, and an increase in prices to domestic consumers. Further research is needed, rather than a switch to TPA based on ideology alone

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