Meloni Vows to Fight Against Energy ‘Speculators’ and Lower Costs for Italians

Italy’s likely next Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has vowed to fight against speculators she claims are distorting the energy markets and lower the costs of energy for Italians while also promoting those who create wealth in the country.

The firebrand leader of the national-conservative Brothers of Italy (FdI) stated that energy costs for Italians remain a major priority for her likely incoming government.

“The priority will be the cost of energy, the issue is not how to compensate for speculation but how to stop it, we cannot continue to give billions to speculators,” Meloni told a crowd of the National Confederation of Direct Farmers (Coldiretti), Italy’s largest association representing agriculture, over the weekend, Il Giornale reports.

“You know that in these days I have thinned out my presence to study the most urgent dossiers, in case we are called to form the new government,” Meloni told the crowd and added, “But I decided to come here to you who represent Italian excellence and “Made in Italy’.”

“If we are called to govern this nation it is immediately clear that we have in mind to give effective and immediate answers to the main problems,” she said and added, “Our goal is to change the relationship between the State and citizens and the State and businesses. Our compass will be not to disturb those who want to do, not to disturb those who want to create wealth and those who want to give work. The State must enable them to do so.”

The looming winter energy crisis could be the first major test of a Meloni government as energy prices have already substantially increased for both consumers and for businesses.

Last month, owners of Italian restaurants bars and elsewhere publicly displayed their increased energy bills and asked assistance from the government after some had seen their costs triple or more.

Aldo Cursano, vice president of Fipe-Confcommercio, the association that organised the protests, stated, “With increases in energy costs of up to 300%, we are working with a gun to our heads.”

However, reports have claimed that Italy may be able to get through the winter after the government of outgoing Prime Minister Mario Draghi was able to negotiate increased gas deliveries from Algeria and Egypt that could replace Italy’s prior reliance on Russian gas supplies.

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.