Italy will announce a €3 billion ($3.14 billion) relief package on Friday to support households and small businesses grappling with high energy costs, Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Thursday.
High energy prices have been a persistent challenge for the Italian government in recent years, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni pushing for the majority of the aid package to be directed toward households.
Speaking in a radio interview, Salvini revealed that €2 billion would be allocated to help families struggling with energy bills, while €1 billion would go to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The relief measures will be effective for three months, with the government anticipating a decline in energy prices after the winter season.
Salvini expressed optimism that a ceasefire in Ukraine could be reached within the next three months, which would further ease pressure on energy costs.
As the EU’s third-largest economy and home to the second-biggest gas storage capacity in the bloc, Italy has already begun refilling its storage sites earlier than usual — starting in February — to avoid price spikes later in the year.
Italian Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin warned last month that geopolitical tensions and market speculation could drive summer gas prices higher than winter rates in 2025, similar to the energy crisis in 2022.
While Europe’s summer gas prices have recently traded at a premium over winter futures, the spread has narrowed in recent days due to milder weather and renewed peace talks on Ukraine, which have lowered commodity prices.
