Italy's Deputy Prime Minister lashes EU over fuel price rise: like a doctor unwilling to treat a patient

Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has launched a sharp criticism of the European Union over its slow response to rising fuel prices that are weighing on Italy’s transport and logistics sector. Salvini said Brussels had failed to move quickly to help truck drivers and other transport operators who are facing higher operating costs as fuel prices rise. In an interview with RTL 102.5 radio, Salvini warned that the situation could trigger a goods distribution crisis if not addressed promptly. ‘We must be able to help them, because stopping trucks for a week would mean empty shops and Italy would be in chaos,’ Salvini said on Tuesday 19 May 2026. He also taunted the EU’s stance that the situation is serious but has not taken concrete steps to intervene. ‘The most absurd thing is that they say, ’Yes, the situation is serious, but because it has not become a disaster, let’s wait before intervening’,’ he said. Salvini then likened the approach of EU officials to a doctor who refuses to treat a gravely ill patient until the patient is on the brink of death. In his view, such a mindset is dangerous because delays in addressing the problem could worsen the economic and social impacts in Italy. Salvini’s remarks come amid growing discontent among Italian truck drivers over rising fuel prices and logistics costs that continue to burden the transport sector. Earlier on Monday 18 May, Ansa reported that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had sent a letter to the President of the European Commission requesting budgetary leeway amid the energy crisis affecting the country.