Energy costs have become unsustainable for Italian industry, Confindustria President Emanuele Orsini said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a Confindustria Emilia Area Centro meeting in Bologna, Orsini warned that Italian companies pay far more for power than competitors abroad. “The cost of energy in this country is unsustainable,” he said. “We pay four to five times more than the United States and 30-60% more than some European countries. For energy-intensive firms, this is a serious problem.”
Orsini welcomed the government’s decision to consider decoupling electricity prices from natural gas, a measure already adopted in France and Spain. “We proposed decoupling, which has finally entered the government’s vocabulary,” he said. “We’re pleased, but let’s do it quickly. Winter is coming.”
The Confindustria chief also criticised the idea of boosting growth by adjusting IRPEF personal income tax. “You don’t increase wages by cutting personal income tax,” he said. “You increase them with productivity contracts. It’s important not to make a once-a-year cut but to put businesses at the centre, so they can produce more, earn more, and distribute wealth.”
Orsini confirmed that Confindustria is working with the government on the 2026 budget bill, which requires around €8 billion in new measures. “A series of incentives are expiring,” he said. “Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, the Single Economic Zone, and even the tax credit for research and development are running out. We are asking for new measures worth €8 billion to support businesses.”
