Twenty-four more hours to combat a crisis that won't wait . In the back-to-back exodus that's presenting the bill to motorists, the government extends the diesel discount until August 26th. Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti signs the decree on mobile excise duties and offers up 20.8 million in additional VAT revenue. This delay, the 17-cent cut at the pump, isn't enough for Elly Schlein. "Stopgap measures are no longer enough," attacks the Democratic Party leader who, on her record-breaking day at the helm of the Democratic Party, ups the ante in her challenge to Giorgia Meloni, calling on the government to " immediately tax the energy companies' excess profits." And to do so without waiting for Brussels , moving "from words to action," already implementing in Italy the policy recently agreed upon with Germany, Austria, Spain, Portugal, and Poland to tax the majors' huge profits.
A request that also touches a sensitive nerve within the majority, where there remain differing perceptions regarding the level of intervention.
The price increases are visible on the noticeboards. According to data from the Ministry of Enterprise, diesel has also broken the psychological threshold of 2.2 euros, reaching an average of 2.203 euros per liter. And gasoline is no exception, hovering at 2.087 euros. This blow is even more pronounced during the weekend of the great return, with the ANAS Road Mobility Observatory estimating over 24 million trips.
New measures are now being considered by the government, as is the flexibility to be sought from the EU Energy Pact. But coverage will once again dictate the pace. The Treasury is scrambling for margins, with the next Council of Ministers scheduled for September 3rd and little room to anticipate further measures. Without new resources, the parachute will close on August 27th and price increases will return to the pump.
