[hussong]

France and Germany have had very different energy strategies for ages.

Germany still has significant domestic coal reserves.

France pretty much ran out of coal decades ago and therefore invested heavily in nuclear technology and access to uranium ore (mostly in Africa), they are #2 in uranium consumption worldwide.

[api]

I suspect running out of coal nails it. Economics tends to drive politics.

There was also probably a little thing in France about being dependent on Germany.