Italy Criticizes EU for Being Slow amid Rising Fuel Prices

JAKARTA - Deputy Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Salvini has criticized the European Union (EU) for being slow in taking action amid rising fuel prices and for not providing support for truck drivers.

Salvini also warned of the risk of a serious crisis in his country.

To RTL102.5 radio, Salvini said transport operators in Italy were desperate because further fuel hikes could cause the distribution of goods to stop.

"We must be able to help them, because stopping the trucks for a week would mean empty shops and Italy in a chaotic state," he said, quoted by ANTARA from Sputnik, Tuesday, May 19.

He was also surprised by the EU's response, which claimed to take a serious stance on the situation, but did not immediately take action.

"The most absurd thing is that they say, Yes, the situation is serious, but since it has not become a disaster, let's wait before intervening," he said.

Salvini likened the approach taken by officials in Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union, to the attitude of a doctor who refuses to save a seriously ill patient until the patient is on the verge of death.

The statement comes amid growing discontent among truck drivers in Italy over rising fuel prices and logistics costs.

Monday (18/5), the Ansa News Agency reported that Italian Prime Minister (PM) Giorgia Meloni has sent a letter to the head of the European Commission to request budgetary relief due to the energy crisis.