Once the tax discount is over, diesel prices continue to rise and the government remains under fire from the majority who are calling for measures, but also from citizens who find themselves with a lighter wallet at every stop at the petrol station. Giorgia Meloni knows she has to intervene. There are essentially two scenarios: a new intervention on mobile excise duties or the granting of a bonus. However, none of the options are painless. We understand what you’re talking about.
The price of diesel is rising
Let’s take a step back. With the end of the 6.1 cent tax discount on diesel put in place by the government, there was an increase in prices. Eni, Ip, Q8 and Tamoil raised their price caps in the same way. However, Eni then trimmed the price lists by lowering the cost of its diesel by 4 cents, bringing it to 2.21 euros per litre. So 2.19 euros per liter with the original price cap, then 2.25 with the end of the discount and now 2.21 with the adjustment.
Anti-price rise solutions
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who in mid-September had committed to continuing tax discounts from 6 October with the mobile excise duty mechanism, ends up at the center of the controversy. And the moment is not ideal: there is the fiscal measure to be written, there is the tug-of-war with Europe on the issue of budget flexibility, and above all there are elections on the horizon. And an electorate angry because it is systematically poorer is never a good thing.
Here then Meloni herself launches a reference to the first possible solution: an intervention on mobile excise duties. “We are always ready to intervene again, particularly with the mobile excise duty mechanism – he said -. As of September we have around 160 million that can be spent for this objective. We are asking ourselves whether it is more effective to spend it at this moment, when there are containment measures in any case, or to keep it as a reserve when those measures end. It also depends on the holding of the cap. Let’s see what happens in the next few hours”.
With just one sentence, however, the prime minister brought the energy giants into play (again). In political jargon it’s called “moral suasion” on companies. In short, the request is for the price cap to return to the first version. Appeal, as we have seen, partly accepted by Eni. We say forceful play since the state presence in the corporate structure of the six-legged dog is strong (33.09% total of the share capital between the Ministry of Economy and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti).
There is a second option: helping only some categories. Above all, the League is pushing for a bonus aimed only at the most vulnerable groups. Farmers, fishermen and lorry drivers would be the most likely categories of beneficiaries, but even in this case someone would end up dissatisfied. All that remains is to wait for the government’s moves and, in the meantime, pay and smile.