Seven more days of discount for everyone, still 17 cents per liter and always only on diesel, and then… Then we don’t know. The Meloni government could not reach agreement on the announced “selective measures”, i.e. discounts on fuel not for everyone but only for some categories, and therefore a “bridge” solution was found: yet another extension of the discount already calculated. Let’s understand what happens from today and for a week and what will happen next.
From discount to discount
We have been dealing with the high cost of fuel for months. The Meloni government first launched the reduction of excise duties on petrol and diesel, then left only the latter and continued with a series of extensions that were increasingly shorter in duration. Subsequently the mantra became: “This is the last one, let’s give aid to those who need it most”. It happened two extensions ago.
Yesterday, September 10, at the expiration of the discount on diesel (already the result of an extension) Meloni noted that the agreement between his team for specific bonuses does not exist. And then the “hot diaper” has arrived: new extension of the tax discount on diesel fuel of 17 cents per liter until Thursday 17 September included.
There are no bonuses
What happens from Friday 18 September? According to the approved decree, prices return to “normal”. According to the intentions, the support granted to specific categories should come into play: people, families or businesses that find themselves in a condition of real need. Probation remains mandatory. There is no agreement on which categories to help, nor in what ways and, crucially, with what money.
To help the less wealthy, a contribution could be made to the “Dedicated to you” card, but the League is sceptical, fearing that it will mainly go to foreigners and tax evaders. A fairly simple support to adopt is fuel cards for employees. But Salvini would also like help for the self-employed. The League is still pushing for a contribution from the banks, but the other majority parties are holding back. A taxation of the extra profits of energy companies is also being considered, in particular for the refining activity. But here too there is political resistance.
The new element in play
However, there is something new besides the discount. Meloni shuffles the cards and in the latest decree includes measures to speed up permits and concessions to increase gas and oil production. The aim is “to reduce dependence on foreign countries, pay less, guarantee lower costs for families and businesses, defend the nation’s energy security”. The new law decree, explained the Prime Minister, “will allow the State to appoint commissioners who will help the Regions cut down time and issue permits and concessions much more quickly for the research, exploration and extraction of hydrocarbons in our territory”. The Prime Minister claimed “28 gigawatts more of renewables, three times better than what was done in the same period by those who lecture us today on green energy”. And then “the courage to reopen the road to nuclear energy”.
All that remains is to wait and, for those who can, take advantage of the mini discount for another seven days.