Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni says rising energy prices are the main economic concern for her government.

Speaking at the annual Confindustria meeting in Bologna, Meloni said her team is looking into whether speculation is driving prices up.

“The government is working on an analysis of the functioning of the Italian market to understand whether possible anomalies in the formation of the unique national price could be the cause of unjustified price increases,” she said.
“If there were speculations on the backs of who produces and creates employment, it would be unacceptable.”

Her remarks followed a speech by Confindustria President Emanuele Orsini, who warned that Italian businesses are struggling to stay competitive due to high energy costs.

"Our companies continue to suffer from an energy (price) surcharge of more than 35% over the European average, even reaching peaks of 80% when compared to the largest European countries," Orsini said.

He urged the government to reform energy pricing and cut overall costs for businesses, including those tied to electricity.

He also called for fewer hurdles to produce energy from renewable sources and a return to the production of nuclear energy, which was banned in Italy in 1987.

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