Eni is capping fuel prices for a month. Tajani’s dig at Salvini: “This is the way forward, not windfall profits”

"Eni has set a price cap on the price of fuel sold by Enilive at 2.19 euros per litre for diesel and 1.99 euros per litre for petrol (around 17 cents less than current average levels)". Eni announced this in a statement, emphasising that the "price cap is linked to the current excise duty relief and will apply from 28 September, initially for a period of 30 days, with the possibility of extension until the end of the year, depending on market trends and supply conditions. “The contraction in the supply of refined products on the international market resulting from the ongoing geopolitical crises, combined with a shortage of refining capacity at European level (almost 30 refineries have closed in the last 15 years), has pushed fuel prices to levels that are extremely burdensome for Italian households and businesses,” continues the statement from the six-legged dog. Against this backdrop, Eni intends to “make a further gesture of solidarity towards the country, consumers and its own customers”. 

As expected, the news was welcomed by Palazzo Chigi. “The government thanks Eni for its important initiative to cap the price of petrol and diesel. This is a commendable gesture of support for Italy, which goes in the desired direction of curbing high fuel prices which, due to the difficult international situation, are affecting Italian households,” reads a statement. Some figures, such as Antonio Tajani, have seized the opportunity to send messages to the rest of the ruling coalition. “This is the path we prefer: responsibility, collaboration and the market, not interventionist measures or new taxes based on the concept of windfall profits. It is not by penalising businesses that invest and generate wealth that we defend Italians’ purchasing power,” said the Deputy Prime Minister, essentially referring to the taxes on windfall profits often proposed by his government colleague and League leader Matteo Salvini. 

The opposition is taking potshots at the government. “Eni’s decision shows that price controls were possible, just as we had always demanded,” said Angelo Bonelli of AVS. “Instead, the government has squandered 2.8 billion euros of public money on cutting excise duties, diverting resources from healthcare and public transport, when it could have intervened with a decree-law to directly cap fuel prices given the emergency caused by the war. Eni’s decision confirms today, in practice, that this course of action was possible. It is exactly what we were calling for: to intervene on prices at the pump to protect households and businesses, rather than channelling billions of public funds into a measure that has not solved the problem of high fuel prices – indeed, it has enriched oil companies and the major energy lobbies,” he concluded. Carlo Calenda took a different line, arguing that “Eni is demonstrating a sense of responsibility towards the country that is lacking in other public companies operating in the energy sector. Without naming names: Terna, Enel, A2A”, wrote the leader of Azione in X.