Italian deputy PM urges return to Russian energy imports as EU tensions rise
Italian politics is again colliding with Europe’s energy debate, as Matteo Salvini calls for a direct reversal of EU restrictions on Russian oil and gas.
Speaking at a rally in Milan, the Italian Deputy Prime Minister argued that the EU should suspend parts of its fiscal rules and move away from what he described as “ideological” constraints like the Green Deal.. For Salvini, the immediate priority is energy security—especially as global supply routes have been shaken by the war in the Middle East.
Salvini’s message was blunt: rather than restricting trade, Brussels should prioritize keeping energy flowing to households and industry.. He tied the pressure on prices to disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a route that handles a large share of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows.. In his framing, the result is a higher cost of living and a sharper economic risk—one that, he says, Europe should not deepen with sanctions.
At the rally, Salvini urged the EU to reverse its ban on Russian energy imports.. He also called for suspending the EU Stability and Growth Pact, saying Italy needs room to support people facing financial strain.. His core argument was that the rules meant to guide fiscal discipline have become a brake on growth at the worst possible time.
The Italian leader pointed to the United States as a comparator, saying that Washington has temporarily eased restrictions on certain Russian oil shipments.. Under the US approach described by Salvini, licenses were initially used to allow sales of oil already loaded onto tankers before March 12, and later extended to cover purchases of oil and petroleum products loaded as of that date, with a further deadline into May.
Salvini used that as a rationale for Brussels to follow suit.. “If the US is doing it, then Brussels should do the same,” he said, arguing that shutting down factories and services would be harder to justify than reopening trade links.. He added that the EU should not treat the energy relationship with Russia as if it were a direct “war” question.
Why the Russian gas ban is becoming a political flashpoint
The debate is not only about short-term prices; it is also about Europe’s long-term direction.. In January, the EU approved a plan to phase out Russian pipeline gas by 2027, overriding objections from Slovakia and Hungary.. The legal and political pushback did not fade after that decision.. Hungary later challenged the plan at the EU’s top court, while Slovakia has signaled it intends to pursue a similar path.
Salvini’s intervention lands in the middle of that broader contest over sovereignty, law, and energy leverage.. In practice, countries with different grid structures and supply dependencies can experience the same EU policy very differently—so arguments about “security” often turn into arguments about who carries the cost.
For ordinary people, this translates into uncertainty: when energy prices swing, household budgets tighten quickly, and the pressure reaches beyond heating bills to transport, food, and everyday services.. For businesses, the risk is more immediate—higher energy input costs can limit investment and hiring, especially for companies that can’t easily switch suppliers or technologies.
The Middle East disruption that changed Europe’s energy math
The timing also matters.. Salvini linked Europe’s current strain to disruptions tied to the Strait of Hormuz, a corridor that has become central to global energy pricing.. When a key transit route is threatened, markets often price in the worst-case scenario first.. That dynamic can quickly outweigh political messaging, turning energy security into a practical daily problem.
Europe’s policy debate therefore sits on two layers at once: sanctions and infrastructure plans on one hand, and shipping realities on the other. Even if an EU ban is designed for a future transition, short-term shocks can make it feel like a present-day penalty.
The implied challenge for EU policymakers is balancing alignment with longer-term decarbonization goals while also addressing geopolitical volatility. Salvini’s stance suggests he wants those priorities reordered—less focus on restrictions now, more on keeping supply stable and costs manageable.
Looking ahead, Italy’s position could add pressure to a wider EU conversation about whether restrictions should be adjusted during crises.. If other governments find themselves exposed to higher prices or legal constraints, the argument for flexibility—rather than fixed timelines—could grow louder.. For Brussels, the question is not only what policy to choose, but how to keep cohesion when member states experience the same energy shocks in different ways.