Prague (dpa) – The Czech Republic is appealing to Germany to continue operating its last three operating nuclear power plants beyond 2022. It would be nice if the operation of German nuclear power plants could be extended by at least a few months, said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala after a meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Prague on Monday.

Electricity prices in Europe have risen sharply since last autumn. The Russian invasion of Ukraine more than six months ago further aggravated the situation on the energy market. “We agreed that a pan-European solution to lower electricity prices had to be found,” said Fiala after the conversation with Scholz. These had reached a level that was unacceptable.

Unlike Germany, the Czech Republic continues to rely on nuclear energy as an energy source. According to plans by the government in Prague, the share of nuclear power in the electricity mix of the EU member state is to increase to more than half by 2040. For this purpose, the construction of new reactors is planned .