Milan, 26 Aug. (LaPresse) – “Giorgia Meloni should have the courage to make those who have grown rich even during this severe crisis pay more.” This is what the leader of the PD, Elly Schlein, writes in a letter sent to the *Corriere della Sera*. “The Government must move from words to deeds and immediately tax windfall profits to fund the extraordinary measures needed to give Italy a breather,” she demands. “Six months after the start of the war in the Persian Gulf, the energy crisis is once again a stark emergency that millions of Italian families and businesses are grappling with every day. We are talking about a genuine economic blow that is taking its toll on the country’s everyday life” and “faced with such a difficult situation, the government is literally playing it by ear, as demonstrated by the recent extension of the mini discount on diesel excise duty by a mere 48 hours: a mockery”, says Schlein, emphasising that “with winter now just around the corner, stopgap measures are no longer enough to protect the country”. “The truth is that substantial resources will be needed, and we must obtain them exactly where they are: by taxing the windfall profits accumulated by the major energy companies fairly and effectively”, writes the PD secretary. “We are talking about a measure already implemented in 2022 and which Minister Giorgetti himself has once again called for at European level, alongside others. The European Commission, however, has made it clear that Member States can already take action at national level. Certainly, European intervention would be useful and appropriate, but in the meantime there are no excuses for not taking immediate action at national level. We know that the majority parties are divided on this issue; it is up to President Meloni to bring them together in the country’s best interests,” she adds. “The Government must move from words to deeds and immediately tax windfall profits to fund the extraordinary measures needed to give Italy some breathing space,” demands Schlein. “A temporary cut in excise duties alone is no longer sufficient: a broader and more comprehensive action plan is needed. On the one hand, we need to curb the rise in prices at the pumps, including by assessing the feasibility of capping the refining margin. On the other hand, it is urgent to support households’ purchasing power by strengthening and extending the social electricity and gas allowance, reinstating the transport allowance (which had helped nearly 3 million citizens with public transport season tickets), and introducing a fuel subsidy scaled according to ISEE. ‘We also need to help those productive sectors suffering most from the crisis, starting with agriculture and road haulage,’ he argues.
Fuel prices, Schlein: “Meloni must show courage; the government should tax windfall profits immediately”
Milan, 26 Aug. (LaPresse) – “Giorgia Meloni should have the courage to make those who have grown rich even during this severe crisis pay more.” This is what the leader of the PD, Elly Schlein, writes in a letter sent to the *Corriere della Sera*. “The Government must move from words to deeds and immediately tax windfall profits to fund the extraordinary measures needed to give Italy a breather,” she demands. “Six months after the start of the war in the Persian Gulf, the energy crisis is once again a stark emergency that millions of Italian families and businesses are grappling with every day. We are talking about a genuine economic blow that is taking its toll on the country’s everyday life” and “faced with such a difficult situation, the government is literally playing it by ear, as demonstrated by the recent extension of the mini discount on diesel excise duty by a mere 48 hours: a mockery”, says Schlein, emphasising that “with winter now just around the corner, stopgap measures are no longer enough to protect the country”. “The truth is that substantial resources will be needed, and we must obtain them exactly where they are: by taxing the windfall profits accumulated by the major energy companies fairly and effectively”, writes the PD secretary. “We are talking about a measure already implemented in 2022 and which Minister Giorgetti himself has once again called for at European level, alongside others. The European Commission, however, has made it clear that Member States can already take action at national level. Certainly, European intervention would be useful and appropriate, but in the meantime there are no excuses for not taking immediate action at national level. We know that the majority parties are divided on this issue; it is up to President Meloni to bring them together in the country’s best interests,” she adds. “The Government must move from words to deeds and immediately tax windfall profits to fund the extraordinary measures needed to give Italy some breathing space,” demands Schlein. “A temporary cut in excise duties alone is no longer sufficient: a broader and more comprehensive action plan is needed. On the one hand, we need to curb the rise in prices at the pumps, including by assessing the feasibility of capping the refining margin. On the other hand, it is urgent to support households’ purchasing power by strengthening and extending the social electricity and gas allowance, reinstating the transport allowance (which had helped nearly 3 million citizens with public transport season tickets), and introducing a fuel subsidy scaled according to ISEE. ‘We also need to help those productive sectors suffering most from the crisis, starting with agriculture and road haulage,’ he argues.