Italy Pushes EU on Energy Security
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is urging the European Union to relax budget rules to help countries manage rising energy costs, arguing that energy security should be treated with the same urgency as defence spending.
In a letter to the European Commission, Meloni warned that higher fuel and electricity prices linked to tensions in the Middle East are increasing pressure on households, industries and government finances across Europe. Italy is pushing for greater fiscal flexibility on energy spending, similar to exemptions already used for defence investment.
The pressure comes as Europe continues to deal with the impact of external energy shocks, from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to renewed instability around the Strait of Hormuz, both of which have exposed the region’s dependence on imported energy and vulnerability to sudden price spikes.
Against that backdrop, Italy is also preparing for one of its biggest energy policy shifts in decades.
Speaking in the Senate earlier this month, Meloni said the government aims to approve a long-awaited enabling law for nuclear energy “by the summer”, alongside measures designed to create the legal framework for restarting nuclear power production in Italy.
If approved, it would mark Italy’s most significant return towards nuclear energy in nearly 40 years, as countries across Europe look to strengthen energy security, reduce import dependence and secure long-term electricity supply.