Italy petrol hits €2.6 per litre; government weighs variable fuel duty amid backlash
Petrol prices in Italy have reached €2.6 per litre in Milan, sparking opposition criticism. The government is considering a variable excise duty while consumer groups warn of billions in extra costs.
On Saturday, a petrol price of €2.6 per litre was recorded at a filling station in central Milan, reigniting concerns over fuel costs in Italy. Opposition parties accuse the government of failing to prevent a new economic crisis, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Minister for Business Adolfo Urso work on new measures to keep prices in check.
Fuel prices have been rising since July 3, when the excise duty cut introduced at the outbreak of the US-Iran war ended. According to the Ministry of Business, the average self-service price on national roads is €1.981 per litre for petrol and €2.184 for diesel. On motorways, the average self-service price is €2.071 for petrol and €2.255 for diesel.
Local sources reported that on Saturday, prices exceeded €2.7 per litre for diesel and €2.5 for petrol on several major routes, including the A21 Turin-Piacenza, A4 Venice-Trieste, A22 Brenner-Modena, and the Milan-Brescia and Messina-Palermo highways. In Rome, some stations reached €2.3 per litre for petrol.
Consumer association Codacons warned that Italians' spending on fuel will reach €10.8 billion in 2026, almost €2 billion more than in 2025. The group stated that in July alone, Italians will spend €841 million more on petrol and diesel than in the same month last year. Meanwhile, the research office of Cgia di Mestre estimated that households and businesses will face nearly €29 billion in additional costs for electricity, gas and fuels in 2026. Petrol and diesel account for the largest increase, with extra spending of €13.6 billion, up 20.4% from 2025.
The government is considering a variable excise duty mechanism that would allow cuts when VAT revenue rises due to higher prices. Minister Urso said the government must first wait for the Economy Ministry's calculations on surplus VAT revenue, expected next week. He defended the government's actions, arguing that Italy's price control model is being emulated by other countries and that fuel prices have risen less than elsewhere.
Opposition leaders criticized the government's response. Democratic Party secretary Elly Schlein called for adopting the variable excise duty proposal, noting Meloni's past promise to abolish excise duties. Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte urged serious measures, including drawing resources from windfall profits of banks, energy giants, and the arms industry, and demanding massive EU investment in industrial and energy recovery.
