«We are worried because we are witnessing a kind of degradation of the Italian industrial system and we are worried about the continuous decline in production linked to the reduction in energy consumption. We have asked for a firm intervention from the government from an energy point of view, but we see neither a sense of urgency nor the courage to face the structural maneuvers”. Aurelio Regina, Confindustria’s presidential delegate for energy, immediately asked for a response from the executive that was slow to come. «It is clear – he was clear – that, whatever the number of decisions that have to be taken, the intervention on energy cannot be postponed any longer. Already in May, at the Confindustria session, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had promised very decisive action on the energy issue, but this has not happened”.
However, in the meantime, other countries did not remain silent.
Absolutely not. Germany has announced a sweeping plan to set the political price for electricity at 50 euros per MWh: this is an industrial policy measure worth between 3 and 5 billion and has been approved by the Brussels executive. Added to this is the intervention of a bill of 26 billion in 2026 alone thanks to the use of fiscal leverage, not including ETS compensation, which is equivalent to 2.5 billion euros, which is worth 40-50 euros per MWh, while in Italy reimbursement costs around 5 euros per MWh. These are measures that change the single market and distort competition.
Did France and Spain also launch similar maneuvers?
France has focused on a different mix of power generation by setting an average price of 70 euros per MWh with a return of 50% of excess profits above 80 euros per MWh and 90% above 110 euros per MWh. This is a system that consistently stabilizes energy costs for businesses and society if energy costs recover. And Spain is also starting to become an objectively significant industrial competitor, as recently recalled by the CEO of Stellantis, Antonio Filosa, who highlighted how energy costs in Spain are half that of Italy as a result of declining investments in our country. And this encourages sectors that are not energy intensive, such as automotive and telecommunications, to feel the burden of this variable the most.
