This move comes at a time when half of France's reactors are inactive for various reasons. So reinvigorating the nuclear power program is popular. However, the socialist government of François Hollande wanted to shutter our reactors, and this has had knock-on effects even as Macron decided an about-turn.

Secondly, part of the new program is to build more modern reactors, as well as EPR-2s. That could have much wider benefits.

Finally, enlarging the enrichment facilities is easier than starting from scratch. Russia's misadventures has hastened what should already have been obvious, for national security reasons.

But yes, this is a gamble.