BRUSSELS
Italy’s leading business association Confindustria warned Tuesday that rising energy costs pose an “existential threat” to companies, while calling for broad political agreement on reforms aimed at restoring economic growth.
Speaking at Confindustria’s annual assembly in Rome, according to daily newspaper La Repubblica, Confindustria President Emanuele Orsini said high energy prices had become one of the most urgent challenges facing Italian industry and urged stronger government action to secure the country’s energy future.
“For businesses, the price of energy is now a real existential threat,” Orsini said in remarks delivered before Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella.
While acknowledging what he described as government efforts to create a more balanced energy policy, Orsini said further action was needed and proposed a five-point pact involving all political parties to help return Italy to 2% economic growth.
The proposal focuses on energy reform, expanding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), innovation and development contracts, regulatory simplification and mobilizing new investment resources.
Orsini also supported accelerating Italy’s return to nuclear energy and called for broad political consensus on the issue.
He further advocated wider use of artificial intelligence, including a national AI training strategy beginning in schools and extending throughout the workforce.
Turning to Europe, Orsini warned that the European Union risks deeper deindustrialization if competitiveness concerns are not addressed.
“Brussels is unclear about what competitiveness means. Since the beginning of this commission’s mandate, Europe has lost 250,000 manufacturing jobs, which translates into a million fewer jobs in related industries,” he said.
He also called for reforms to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), saying Europe needs a common industrial strategy, an integrated energy market and stronger financial coordination.
Regional tensions have remained elevated since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliatory attacks by Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 and was later extended indefinitely by US President Donald Trump.
