Pichetto Fratin said implementing decrees would be presented by the end of the year, with industrial partners assessing costs, potential operators and sites. He favored private management under strict public supervision.

Industry has already begun weighing the options.

Italian utility company Enel, power equipment maker Ansaldo Energia and defense group Leonardo established a joint venture, Nuclitalia, to assess advanced nuclear technologies. In June, French energy giant EDF signed a declaration of intent with Italian industrial partners to develop small modular reactors, targeting the first plants by 2035.

The government does not need a fresh referendum to legislate, although opponents could seek a vote to repeal the new rules. Opponents argue that nuclear power would divert money from renewables. Angelo Bonelli of the Greens accused the government of serving polluters and energy companies. He cited heat-related disruptions at reactors in France and Romania.

With elections due next year, a future government could also reverse course. Asked how he could prevent that, Pichetto Fratin acknowledged that voters would have the final say.

“We are a democracy,” Pichetto Fratin said. “If the Italian people choose backwardness over the modernization of the future, that would be a democratic choice, unfortunately, in my view.”