Pichetto Fratin: “Ready to intervene on fuel increases, but the priority is expensive bills”

The Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, defends the choices of the Meloni government. In recent days, what has caused concern has been the increase in the price of fuel, which in some cases has exceeded the psychological threshold of 2 euros per litre. But the idea that the price increase will stabilize “today is just speculation”, argues the minister in an interview with Press. And he adds: “Should the increases be structural, the government is ready to intervene again”. For now however, the work on the maneuver completed in the last days of 2022 has led to thezeroing of cuts on excise duties. “In the budget law it was a question of priorities”, underlines Pichetto Fratin: “We decided to intervene by allocating 21 billion euros [su 30, ndr.] against expensive bills”. And on this front the increases do not stop.

According to the latest tariff adjustment, there will still be an increase in gas in December, despite the fact that the price on international markets has dropped below 70 euro/mWh. “If this gas price trend continues”, declared the minister, “the first results on bills could be at the end of January”.

The mild temperatures of this winter also have a positive influence: “Even if they cause concern for the environment sector of the ministry that I lead, because tangibly represent the effects of the climate change we are fightinghave allowed us to consume less gas and keep deposits high”. Another positive sign for the stability of the system is the green light on the regasification terminals: “The times for Piombino and Ravenna will be respected”. Each will supply 5 billion cubic meters of essential gases for Italian energy security in the coming years.

On the opposition front, the parties are pursuing two warhorses: the first that rails against the increase in fuel prices and the second that opposes drilling. On the one hand, the left accuses the government of having used funds from the budget to expand the “flat tax”neglecting the cut in excise duties, but on this the minister replies that the flat tax “was within our government coalition programme” and that the Minister of Economy Giancarlo Giorgetti is already working on a tax reform in a broader sense. On the other hand, the opposition is fighting to prevent new drilling. On this point, Pichetto Fratin’s answer highlights the need to help Italian companies – “which need gas to continue their production of excellence” – and then glosses: “No new government authorization will cause any damage to the environment”.