Lega leader Matteo Salvini has started an action to declare an energy emergency in Italy. In a press conference with steel producers in Northern Italy, he hammered at the so-called “renewables": now, he said, we have neither sun nor wind, so what do we do? Italy can drill for gas at almost no cost in the Adriatic, but the environmentalists (the Five Stars Movement) have blocked drilling. He also brought up the issue of nuclear energy, using the example of Romania, where a new reactor is being built. He said he had spoken to Draghi and the (zombie) minister for Ecological Transition and he found that both were concerned about the energy crisis. He said the energy crisis is as important as the Covid crisis and that the Lega would shortly announce a set of proposals.
Before the conference, he tweeted: “I wanted to reiterate that I shared with President [of the Council of Ministers] Draghi that the danger of a winter in the cold and dark could become a social bomb. Concreteness and rapidity: total commitment of the League to intervene as soon as possible to lower costs and de-tax bills.” The energy authority Arera has announced a 50% increase in electricity bills on Jan. 1.
Yesterday, Salvini had called for stopping “quarreling” with Russia, a key partner in energy deliveries.
The Lega is not the largest party in the grand coalition supporting the Draghi government, but has been leading in the polls for the last two years.
