Edward Marchesi The Med9 Summit was held in Split, Croatia, bringing together the heads of government of eight Mediterranean countries. Among the keynote speakers were French President Emmanuel Macron, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II of Jordan. The agenda ranged from energy to migration flows, with a special focus on the Middle East.
In this context, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has kept a watchful eye on rising diesel prices and the upcoming Italian parliamentary elections.
Meloni questions the Commission on spending flexibility and inflation.
During a press conference following the meeting, Meloni said she had a face-to-face meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The Prime Minister reiterated that Italy, like Greece, is suffering the severe impact of inflation on national budgets, which has exceeded the 1,8% forecast three years ago. "We are not asking for unrestricted spending, but for an objective assessment," she stated, emphasizing that the rising costs of pensions, benefits, and raw materials under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) will force billions of euros to be paid without prior consent.
The European Union 's interest in discussing the issue has been confirmed, although the path to a decision will require the convergence of the Commission, the Council and the Member States.
Mobile excise duties: an option for Italian fuel
In the same speech, Meloni reiterated her willingness to reactivate the mobile excise tax mechanism , which was planned to mitigate fuel costs. In September, the VAT surplus generated approximately €160 million, an amount the government is evaluating whether to use immediately to contain prices or to retain as a reserve for the future, should the current containment measures expire. No further excise tax cuts are currently planned, but the prime minister expressed hope that the price cap on diesel will return to the €2,19 per liter ceiling, abolished after the previous reduction of 6,1 cents was suspended.
The dossier will be discussed at the Ecofin in Luxembourg
The topic of budgetary flexibility has been added to the agenda of the Ecofin meeting to be held in Luxembourg. While no immediate operational conclusions are expected, the mere inclusion of the dossier indicates a willingness to explore Italy's requests in greater depth. From Brussels, the Commission emphasized that modifying budgetary rules in response to a crisis could undermine the credibility of the European financial framework, but it nevertheless kept the door open for dialogue.
Mediterranean and geopolitical perspectives
Prime Minister Plenković closed the summit with a call for a "shared vision of a safer, more sustainable, and more resilient Mediterranean." He emphasized how tensions in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and hybrid threats impact energy security, supply chains, and migration, making the Mediterranean a "focal point" for EU strategies. Meloni agreed on the importance of close cooperation among Southern European countries to "maintain the stability of the European Union" in an increasingly uncertain global context.