Residents in Karlshamn have voted no to a future nuclear power plant in the municipality in a referendum. The result is preliminary but party leaders have pledged to follow it.
In Sunday’s referendum 60.9 percent voted no and 37.0 percent voted yes. Turnout was 48.4 percent and all nine districts voted no.
The result will be confirmed on Wednesday. Municipal referendums are advisory but the leaders of the Moderates, Sweden Democrats and Social Democrats have said they will follow the outcome.
Opposition councillor Ida Lapell (S) expressed joy over the result. “The important thing for us in this has been democracy. That people should have their say”, she told SVT Nyheter Blekinge.
It is the first time a municipal referendum on nuclear power has been held in Sweden. The issue arose after the company Kärnfull Next expressed interest in building reactors in the area.
