A French parliamentary commission of inquiry has transported MPs back 60 years and 15,000 kilometers from Paris to French Polynesia, a vast island territory where France conducted 193 nuclear tests between 1966 and 1996.
France’s path to becoming a nuclear power involved detonating 193 bombs in French Polynesia, 46 of which were atmospheric explosions. These explosions released radioactive clouds that drifted across the territory, contaminating its nearly 120,000 residents, who were not warned of the dangers.
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This controversial period is the focus of the parliamentary inquiry, led by MPs Didier le Gac and Mereana Reid Arbelot, which aims to investigate France’s nuclear testing policy. The commission, comprised of 30 MPs, is expected to present its findings by the end of June after hearing from over 40 political leaders, military officials, scientists, researchers, victims, and representatives of veterans’ and civilian groups.
The inquiry seeks to answer questions about the social, economic, environmental, and health consequences of these nuclear explosions.
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